The Four Clans Of Tenjo
by Wandering Letters
Summary: Set in a fictionalized Japan, the great province of Tenjo has united under the rule of Shogun Masaharu Du. Japan however is in the early stages of the Tokugawa Dynasty, meaning war is ripe in the air. Can the province continue to flourish? Completely OC driven and aims to capture some Japanese history and culture. Rated T for now but can change to M for mature content.
1. Prologue: The Four Clans Of Du

**(A/N): Trying something a bit more original I guess this time around. I watched Samurai X/Rurouni Kenshin and at the request of some readers, I decided to try and do something a bit different than the usual thing. In a more fictionalized version of Feudal Japan, during the days of the Samurai, I decided to whip this thing up. This is just a little prologue to introduce the setting of the story before we actually get to the content. If this gets attention, you can count on it getting pumped out in the usual Wandering Letters speed.**

 **Anyway, hope you guys enjoy this! Trying to drift away from my usual fantasy stuff and I'm now trying my hand at something a bit more realistic.**

* * *

 **Prologue: The Four Clans Of Du**

* * *

During the time of the Tokugawa Dynasty, there lived a shogun known as Masaharu Du or his alias, " **天の使い手** ", which literally translates to "wielder of the heavens". He received his infamous moniker thanks to the four major clans he united under his rule.

The first of these clans was the Tengoku Clan, or as he called them: " **天国の射手** " or "archers of heaven". The clan received its name due to it's tendency to produce particularly skilled bowmen and women. The clan trained their usual samurai warriors but placed a major emphasis on mastery of the yumi asymmetrical bow, particularly the daikyu which was the Japanese equivalent of the longbow.

The second clan was the Kenshi clan, or as he called them " **天の剣士** " or "swordsmen of heaven". Unlike many other samurai clans that tend to teach a single style of swordsmanship, the Kenshi clan believed in variety and balance, choosing to adopt several schools of swordsmanship into their ranks, making their samurai and swordsmen particularly balanced in both offense and defense. They did however show a major emphasis on the wakizashi, the kodachi as well as the traditional katana and samurai trained in this clan were often able to dual wield any combination of the three.

The third clan was the Rodosha clan, or as he called them " **天の労働者** " or "workers of heaven". This clan was the finest of all the clans that provided resources such as fine crafted weapons and one of the most well known rice paddie farmers in all the land. The Rodosha clan was the first clan that the Du family founded and has faithfully served the family for nearly 70 years. Now that the final generation of the Du family has come to power, they have become more important than ever to supply the other clans as the new young leader learns everything he needs to in order to rule the province. Rodosha is also the clan in which the Shogun's emissary, Palika Shinigato was born and raised until close friendship brought him into the ranks of the Shogun's castle.

The fourth and final clan was the legendary Asashin clan, or as the Shikaku refers to them, " **天の刺客** " or "assassins of heaven". The Shikaku clan was the only clan that the Shogun's family did not found and was instead inducted into the province. The leader of the clan, a woman known only as " **グリーンロータス** ", or " _The Green Lotus"_ made an alliance with the Shogun's family after they offered permanent residence to the clan. Originally, the Shikaku clan was a nomadic clan, usually moving from land to land every few years in order to keep their clan a secret in addition to preventing the clan from developing enemies. For nearly two centuries, the clan functioned as assassins for hire but once they joined the Du Shogunate, they dedicated their lives to protecting the family in addition to carrying out assassination contracts for anyone the Shogun sees fit to be removed.

Together, the clans created the backbone of the Tenjō province and continue to faithfully serve the Du Shogunate.

With the continuing rise of the Tokugawa Shogunate, everyone wishes to expand their territory and the Tenjō province is very well known for the immense amount of natural resources in addition to the a very advantageous position near to the Eastern Coast of Japan. Many clans wish to take control of the province...which brings us to the start of our story.

* * *

 **Tensin Castle- The War Room**

"This is the contract?"  
"We have reports of a man who wields a sword and possesses scars on his left cheek...he has committed many crimes across the province and he needs to be silenced,"

The woman nodded slowly.

"I will have my protege see to this matter personally Shogun," she said bowing.  
"I'm glad to have you at my side through these times...your clan has been instrumental in keeping the province cleansed of... _impurities_ ,"  
"It has always been our honor to serve the Shogunate, after the kindness your father showed to my clan, it is only natural that we will serve you in anyway we can," she replied.

Masaharu nodded at her and placed a hand on hers.

"I appreciate everything you've done for my family and for the Shogunate Gurīn," he said.

The woman known as Gurīnrōtasu, was the leader of the Shikaku clan. Her moniker was earned due her tendency to leave a lotus behind after every assassination she accomplished and her tendency to use poison to ensure all of her kills are sure. She became the leader of the clan once the previous leader fell in battle during the final move of the clan to the province. Due to being trained by the previous leader in addition to being the most skilled assassin of them all, it was only natural for her to become the next leader.

She turned to her subordinate, who was standing at the entrance.

"Shirubā, this is your task to undertake," she said.

The woman approached her master and bowed obediently.

"I will not fail you my master," she said.

She placed a hand on her student's shoulder and smiled at her.

"I have the utmost faith in your abilities...may your blade strike swiftly," she said.  
"This is your protege?" he asked.

The silver haired woman bowed immediately to the Shogun.

"Forgive me for my lack of respect my lord," she said.

He smiled at her and shook his head.

"Be at ease; we are all friends here," he said humbly.

The woman known as Shirubā earned her name for her signature silver hair as well as her infamous ability to always kill her targets before they know what's happening. Trained by the leader herself, Shirubā was known throughout the clan as second in command despite her desire to not hold any power...only to serve her clan as best she could.

"Thank you my lord," she said respectfully.

"Gurīn...this contract must be carried out because we cannot allow a manslayer to continue killing our people," he said.  
"You are to make your way to Shinketsu Village; it was where he was last seen," said Gurīn.

Shirubā bowed to her master.

"At once my lady," she said.

The silver haired assassin bowed to both her superiors before immediately leaving the room.

"Now that this matter has been settled, the next one must be attended to," said Masaharu.

He turned to his attendant and nodded to her.

"Let them in," he said.

The woman bowed and quickly made her way to a set of doors to the left of the room to reveal a man, dressed in traditional samurai gear.

"The leader of the Kenshi clan, Master Mashiro Ma has arrived," said the attendant.

The man clad in the armor of the Kenshi clan took a seat beside the Shogun after giving him a respectful bow.

"I'm here to follow up on the matter of the expansion we were planning before my lord," he said.  
"You have given it thought?" he asked  
"I spoke with the leader of the Tengoku Clan and they have already given volunteers for the unit we discussed previously," replied Masahiro.

Masaharu raised an eyebrow as Gurīn nodded.

"Shirubā and two others will join the unit as promised but because Shirubā is the one undertaking this contract, we will have to await her return before we make any moves," said Gurīn.  
"My clan stands ready to assist in the effort in whatever way we can; two of my strongest warriors have already volunteered themselves to be a part of the unit," said Masahiro.  
"What of the Rodosha clan?" asked Masaharu.

Masahiro nodded.

"They've sent a woman who is very well versed in war tactics to help...but they cannot expend anymore in order to keep the economy at its boom," he replied.

Gurīn raised an eyebrow.

"So this means that it will all boil down to Shirubā's swiftness," she said.  
"We can afford to wait; in the meantime all clans must be on alert as I have heard talks of neighboring provinces plotting moves against us," said Masaharu.

Both clan leaders bowed.

"We will be waiting Shogun," they said.


	2. Allies

**(A/N): I'm glad you guys enjoyed the prologue! It's a far cry from what I usually do so it's good to see that you guys are enjoying it so far. I'm following up with the first four chapters pretty quickly because I'm pretty psyched about it and as such, I feel more inspired to pump it all out.  
**

 **Let me know if you guys have any questions at all. I'd be more than happy to answer them.**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Allies**

* * *

 **Tengoku Village- The Training Area**

"Is everything in order for tomorrow's trip to Rodosha?" I asked.

The man in front of me bowed politely.

"Everything has been gathered as instructed my lady," he said.

I smiled at him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Excellent work Captain," I said.  
"If I may ask my lady...is this trip particularly important for us all?" he asked.  
"The unit that the Shogun requested to tackle all of the difficult tasks...we have to travel to Rodosha to ensure everything is prepared for their first task," I replied.  
"Is that the reason why Lord Ma traveled to the Shogun's castle in your stead?" he asked.

I nodded.

"I was occupied with other things so I could not attend...but it doesn't make me any less willing to help; Master Ma is a good friend," I said.

The man smiled at me.

"You speak very highly of him my lady...could it be that this extends beyond mere admiration?" he asked.

I smiled slightly at the thought.

"He and I trained together before we became leaders of our clan...he was essentially my rival but at the same time, my closest friend," I said.  
"My lady!"

I turned to see one of my subordinates had entered the room in quite the hurry, panting as she bowed to me.

"One of our outposts is under attack to the east and we have been requested to send aid," she explained.

I looked at her in shock but nodded.

"Ready my unit, I will see to this personally," I replied.

She bowed to me.

"At once my lady," she said.

* * *

 **Nenkotsu Village- Lord Ma's Study**

"Master Ma!"

I turned to see one of my proteges bowing obediently to me.

"This sounds urgent, out with it boy," I said.  
"It's the Tengoku my lord; our scouts have spotted their eastern outpost and they appear to be under attack by raiders," he explained.

My senses suddenly sharpened and my first automatically clenched.

"Rebels...I should've known the last time we fought them wouldn't have been the end of this madness," I said.  
"Should I gather the others my lord?" he asked.

I nodded.

"Summon both of the captains, tell them they can bring their lieutenants with them as well," I said.

He bowed to me, putting his hand against his armor.

"At once my lord," he said.

He quickly made his way outside.

 _"Kayla...what have you gotten yourself into this time..."_

* * *

 **Meanwhile- Jikotsu Road**

I couldn't believe that I finally received a mission to tackle entirely on my own! I usually had to work alongside one or two partners but for once, my master trusted me to handle this all on my own. The reports I read about the man indicated that he is a swordsman who wields a wakizashi in his right hand and possesses a scar on his left cheek. We were not able to acquire any pictures of his face so now it fell to me and my own judgement to carry out the mission. The pressure was indeed there...but after all of the harsh training I had to go through in order to get where I am today, this felt like almost nothing.

"Hello miss, how may I be of service today?"

I snapped from my thoughts and smiled at the man in front of me.

"Are you going towards Shinketsu Village today?" I asked.

He nodded.

"It is actually my next stop, you can come with me if you'd like," he offered.

I handed him a small amount of coin as he smiled.

"Your generosity is refreshing, go ahead and make yourself comfortable on my cart over there; we will leave once I am finished tending to this matter," he said.  
"Is it something lengthy?" I asked.

He shook his head.

"I am a member of the Rodosha clan and my assignment today was to gather some herbs from the nearby fields here," he explained.

I nodded.

"I am from the Shikaku clan," I said.

He smiled at me and for some reason, handed my coin back to me.

"You must be the protege of the famous Green Lotus...I can tell from your silver hair," he said.

I smiled at him.

"I wasn't aware my master's reputation was that well known," I said.  
"She's known throughout the entire province, as are you and the younger protege that trains with you," he said.  
"You mean Sairensu?" I asked.  
"I work for the man that hired her for the last contract she did; I was able to meet her and she was quite..."  
"Silent?"

The man chuckled softly.

"Yes quite so," he replied.

I followed him over to the field and eyed his bag.

"You're here to gather mint leaves?" I asked.  
"Mint and Seiko leaves," he replied.

I knelt beside him.

"I'm very familiar with herbs so I can help you," I said.

He smiled at me once more.

"I appreciate the assistance,"  
"What is your name?" I asked.  
"Seto Iwasaki,"

* * *

 **Later That Afternoon- The Eastern Tengoku Outpost**

 _"These rebels were intelligent enough to higher skilled mercenaries?!"_

I cursed under my breath.

 _"Had I known it would be this difficult...I wouldn't have just brought my proteges..."_

I turned my latest protege, who was still taking cover and firing arrows wherever she could.

"Rōzu! Conserve your arrows! Fall back to the tower!" I ordered.

My protege nodded in response and quickly shouted to the rest of the garrison to fall back to the main lookout tower. She was undoubtedly the best archer amongst the clan apart from myself...but there was no way that we would be able to handle all of these rebels with so few arrows.

 _"There's nothing we can do...we may have to let the outpost fall and recapture it another time,"_

I suddenly heard a loud war horn and I smiled.

 _"His scouts must've made it back to let him know the situation...I'm so glad that our clans are so close to one another,"_

I rushed to the walls.

"Concentrate all fire towards the main entrance, no man must enter this place," I ordered.  
"Yes mistress!" shouted my soldiers.

I readied an arrow and pulled it back.

 _"I just hope we can hold out until Masahiro fulfills his plan...because without him, I don't think we'll make it out alive,"_

 **~ o ~**

 _"Shit...there are a **lot** of rebels here...they must really want this location to have a decent position to strike at the Tengoku,"_

I turned to my second in command, who responded with a nod.

"What are your orders my lord?" he asked.  
"Irou, I need you to ensure that everyone at the rear of the entrance is kept safe; the rebels are bearing down on the front entrance which can only mean our allies are trapped inside," I said.  
"We shall blow our war horns once we have entered the perimeter," replied Irou.

I put a hand on his shoulder.

"Keep them safe...ride swiftly," I said.

Irou obediently nodded and shouted for his unit to follow him. He led seven other samurai, each hand selected personally and I trusted his judgement above all others. Irou was a longtime friend of mine and the man I believed would be the one to take up leadership of the Kenshi clan were anything to happen to me. His reputation amongst the clan was one of both admiration and fear, earning him his moniker of " **ブラックジャガー** " or " _The Black Jaguar_ " due to his signature full black armor set. He often used it in order to confuse his opponents about where to strike to hit a vital point. In addition to that, his reflexes were amongst the fastest I had ever seen in any swordsman I have trained in my time as leader of the clan. He was one of the few who train in the art of dual blade swordsmanship and the only man in the clan to have mastered katanas, kodachis and nihontos, making him an **_extremely_ ** versatile combatant. Often times, he was extremely unpredictable in battle and I had many a time seen him use an unorthodox but effective method of turning any duel around. He was a man who was more than capable of taking care of himself, even against a unit of soldiers on his own.

I then turned to my right to see my latest student.

"Mizuho, I need to you remove the archers firing upon the outpost, do not let any of them escape," I ordered.

She obediently nodded to me.

"It shall be done my lord," she said.

I placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Be very careful...these rebels were once a part of Ashigaru ranks so they are no strangers to the art of combat," I warned.  
"I will do my best master," she said.

Mizuho was the youngest female member of the elite ranks. She earned her nickname, " **まだストライカー"** , or " _Still Striker_ " due to her extensive training in battojutsu techniques. She was definitely one of the best at these techniques, even better than I was in some aspects but she was still new to the art of war. She had fought in several skirmishes in the past but never managed to get the same level of experience that Irou and I possessed. She had absolutely blinding speed with battojutsu, often being compared to famous hitokiri that roamed the lands fulfilling assassination contracts but due to her small size, she wasn't quite able to best a man in feats of strength. Despite this, she remained one of the most skilled swordswomen I had ever seen; she did not require much guidance and instead, just required the discipline to train and improve.

She quickly set off with her unit of seven samurai that I personally picked to make up for her weaknesses. Once they took off towards the archers, I looked to the front entrance as I drew my sword.

"Our allies need us my friends and now it is time to show these rebels that we will not give up our lands! We will not allow such insolence to continue!" I shouted.

My men roared in response, drawing their swords as well.

"For Tenjō!" I bellowed.

* * *

 **Several Hours Later- Nenkotsu Village**

"I still can't thank you enough for coming to our aid...we lost many good warriors out there today," sighed Kayla.

I put a hand on her shoulder.

"We managed to save the outpost and now the rebels will think twice before attacking the province again...it is still a victory despite the losses," I said.

She seemed reassured at my words and nodded gratefully.

"What exactly happened at the meeting yesterday?" she asked.

I looked down.

"It seems that there is a ronin who is slaughtering people across the province...carving a bloody path for an unknown reason," I explained.  
"Do you think it's one of the hitokiri that went rogue after the battle in Kyoto?" she asked.

I shook my head.

"I'm not sure...but no ordinary man can leave such a trail of destruction without a great level of skill and no one has been able to get a good picture of him...only that he has a scar on his left cheek," I explained.

Kayla looked down.

"...The war is really beginning to wear down on our clans...the Shogun needs to do something about this or we could lose a lot of our resources," she said.  
"That is what this task force is meant to do, we are the ones who will shape the future of Tenjō itself with our exploits," I said.

I looked into her eyes.

"We have to allow the Shikaku to end the threat of the ronin and once it's taken care of, we will begin our campaign to the east to annex the Shijo province...if we can manage to do that then our clans should be able to find a comfortable position to form alliances," I said.  
"It seems you've given this a tremendous amount of thought," she said.

I nodded slowly.

"I long for the day that we don't have to worry about these sporadic rebel attacks as well as stories of men who spill innocent blood for no other reason than the latter," I replied.

Much to my surprise, Kayla wrapped her arms around me.

"I'm glad to have you at my side Masahiro," she said.

I returned the gesture.

"Always and forever,"


	3. The Four Hitokiri

**(A/N): Following up with Chapter 2 quickly. I had actually written this along with 3 but the document got corrupted for an unknown reason.**

 **Note to self: upload the document here and just use the document manager to write instead.**

 **Anyway, back to the action!**

* * *

 **DISCLAIMER: I'd like to acknowledge _Rurouni Kenshin_ for inspiring this story; the storyline just gave me LOADS of ideas to keep this interesting.**

* * *

 **EDIT: Renamed someone after being requested to. Nothing else has changed apart from a name so if you've read this chapter before, do so again.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: The Four Hitokiri**

* * *

 **Kurokari Town-** **Tenjō's Capital Building, Headquarters Of The Rodosha Clan**

"A message has arrived from Shogun Du!"

I turned around and adjusted my glasses.

"I'll make sure the mistress receives it," I said.

The messenger handed me a scroll and bowed politely.

"He requests an urgent response," he said.  
"Thank you for coming all this way, I pray for your safe return," I said with a smile.

With a final bow, he left the room. I quickly rose to my feet and went upstairs to arrive at a sliding door. I gently tapped the knocker three times.

"Come in,"

I opened the door and immediately bowed.

"A message from Lord Du," I said.  
"There's no need to be so formal with me Higana," she said.

I smiled at my mistress: the one and only Yuki Liu. I handed her the scroll and she quickly opened it and read through it.

"He's informing us all of the plan with his planned strike unit...it seems we're now waiting for a member of the Shikaku clan to return from a contract before we take action," she said.

I swallowed hard.

"...I wanted to ask you something...if it's not out of my place to ask my lady," I said.

She smiled at me and shook her head.

"Speak freely," she replied.

I let out a sigh.

"This unit requires a great tactical mind...and at this point, there isn't a greater one than yours...but do you really want to go through with being a part of this? The Rodosha clan is nothing without you," I said.

 **~ o ~**

I smiled and rose to my feet before approaching her.

"I'm sure the clan is in very capable hands with you; I trained you for this day and you've proven yourself time and time again that you can keep things stable when I am not here," I said.

Higana Yamagata was a faithful friend and has been my right hand for a nearly five years. After my father passed away and left the clan to me, I appointed several representatives to manage the town, each holding a district under their authority. Since I was well versed in just about everything, I had a lot of pressure in training these people but thanks to Higana, it was much easier. She studied so much into the system of things that I believed her capable of holding everything down if I were to take a trip elsewhere.

"But...won't these tasks be dangerous?" she asked.

I sighed softly.

"I'm not going to lie to you when I say there's a large risk involved...but I don't prefer to view it as a risk to myself," I said.

I adjusted my glasses and sat beside her on the floor.

"Our province of Tenjō is under great turmoil; neighbors are becoming enemies and war is ripe in the air...this unit is meant to prevent that by striking at the enemy where they are most vulnerable and for this to work, our Shogun needs our greatest minds, swords and bows," I explained.

I closed my eyes.

"I was the one who completed all of the blueprints for this town and I was also the one who made all of the plans for Lord Du's army to take over several of the outposts from the rebels...now I have to give him my mind once again in order to see his dreams come to fruition," I said.

Higana bit her lip and looked down.

"I'm amazed that Masaharu has become such a great leader...he never seemed so wise in our youth," she said.

I raised an eyebrow.

"You speak as if from experience," I said.  
"I grew up with him in Kyoto until we left to come to Tenjō...he's been my friend since childhood," she explained.

I smiled.

"That's why you're so worried isn't it?...you fear that his struggle for power will change the man he is?" I asked.  
"Not just that...I don't wish to see any of our allies slain; there are many amazing men and women who live among us and I consider them all my friends and comrades...bloodshed shouldn't have to be a means to an end," she said.

I nodded slowly and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Once we set off, I will do my best to ensure everyone comes back in one piece...including Lord Du himself," I said.

Higana looked to me, her eyes indicating how vulnerable she was right now. I smiled once more at her.

"You have my word,"

* * *

 **Suigetsu Village, Home Of The Shikaku Clan- Gurīnrōtasu's Personal Quarters**

"My lady? You have a visitor from the Kenshi clan,"

I looked up from my reading and nodded.

"Let him in," I replied.

The guard nodded obediently as he quickly left the room.

 _"Must be coming to give me the details I wanted to know about that raid on the Tengoku outpost yesterday...Masahiro himself had to make an appearance to quell the rebels...I certainly hope my apprentice has made progress with the ronin,"_

"My lady, General Irou of the Kenshi clan has arrived,"

I looked to see a man dressed in a rather form fitting black hakama with the signature Jaguar emblem of the clan on its back enter the room.

"Leave us, ensure his horse and escort is tended to," I ordered.  
"At once my lady," said the guard.

Irou entered the room and bowed respectfully to me.

"I apologize for the sudden visit my lady but there are several urgent matters I need to bring to your attention," he said.

I gestured for him to sit in front of me as he took a seat on the other end of the table.

"Masahiro was too busy I take it?" I asked.  
"He's preoccupied with trying to restore the outpost that the Tengoku almost lost to the rebels," he replied.

I cursed under my breath; the rebels appeared to be gaining strength every day while our forces remained scattered.

"I heard Mistress Tran was amongst the ones there," I said.  
"She was indeed but she escaped unscathed," replied Irou.

I nodded in relief; Kayla Tran was definitely one of the most gifted archers I had ever seen in my life and losing her would be not just a major blow to her clan but to the entire province; she became a symbol of hope for everyone thanks to her benevolence and her legendary skill with the daikyū. In addition to that, she was definitely among the most attractive women I had ever seen come from the clan...even though the Tengoku and Shikaku were predominantly female. The Kenshi and Rodosha were the only clans that really had a meaningful male representation in their elite ranks.

"So what's so urgent to require you to ride for nearly an hour?" I asked.

Irou's eyes narrowed.

"I want to know everything about the Four Hitokiri that were trained in Kyoto ten years ago," he said.

My eyes widened.

"Why is that important?" I asked.  
"I've reason to believe that one of them is the ronin who has been slaughtering the citizens of Tenjō," he replied.

My eyes widened.

"What do you mean? What makes you so sure?" I asked.

He removed a scroll from the inner part of his hakama and handed it to me.

"I had one of my spies get a sketch of one of the victims at the scene of one of his crimes...this doesn't look like any ordinary killer," he explained.

I opened the scroll and much to my astonishment, a very detailed drawing of the victim now sat before my eyes. I examined it carefully, looking for any sort of detail that stuck out until I noticed the kind of wound the victim died by.

 _"He was slashed diagonally across the torso...and was allowed to bleed to death because none of these slashes struck vital arteries," I said._

I looked down at the legs.

 _"The killer slashed his legs to prevent him from moving and considering that he must've been killed late at night, there's no way anyone could've heard his cries for help,"_

I examined the cuts.

 _"That blade...it's extremely sharp, more so than the average katana because the man's armor seemed to have offered little to no resistance against his attacks so it could only be a customized sword meant to largely ignore armor,"_

I closed my eyes, searching through my mind for the readings I did on the Hitokiri.

* * *

 _ **Two Weeks Ago- Kurokari Town, The Library**_

 _"The...leader of the Shikaku clan...t-t-to wh-wh-what do I owe this honor?"_

 _I smiled at the man sitting at the desk and raised a hand._

 _"I'm just here to do some reading...can you point me to the military section of your archives?" I asked._

 _He bowed nervously to me and led me towards the shelf._

 _"This is everything we have from the last 60 years," he said._  
 _"Is there anything on the four Hitokiri of Kyoto?" I asked._

 _He nodded and reached for four books._

 _"Each of these books highlights one of the hitokiri...but there isn't much on one of them," he said._  
 _"Which one is that?" I asked._

 _He directed me to a seat and joined me, adjusting his glasses._

 _"The four Hitokiri of Kyoto were named mainly on their personalities or their signature methods of slaying their enemies..." he began._

 _He pointed to one of the books._

 _"There was Hitokiri Āmuhābesuta, otherwise known as the "Arm Harvester" was infamous for his tendency to sever the arms of his victims...he however died several years ago so he is not around anymore," he explained._  
 _"This was confirmed?" I asked._

 _He nodded as he turned to a page, showing the drawing of his body in a casket._

 _"The second is known as Hitokiri Heddorōrā, otherwise known as the "Head Roller" due to his tendency to behead all of his victims...he however has retired from his days as an assassin and now holds a seat in Kyoto's nobility," he said._  
 _"So he couldn't be the one who has been killing those innocents across the province?" I asked._

 _The man shook his head._

 _"The other two have no record of retirement and they were also the youngest of the hitokiri so they both could still be active," he said._

 _He removed the third book._

 _"The third and most likely the most infamous of them all was Hitokiri Buraddosupirā, otherwise known as "Blood Spiller" and he was infamous for never letting his victims die quickly...he instead preferred to slash and watch them bleed to death, usually by leaving large cuts across the torso in a diagonal fashion," he explained._

 _I looked at a sketch of the man and made a mental note of his features._

 _"He was the man who had the most fearsome reputation of them all, slaughtering many people...innocents and guilty alike," he said._

 _I nodded as I looked to the final book._

 _"What about this man?" I asked._

 _I shook my head._

 _"Not much is known apart from his name,"_

 _He opened the book._

 _"The fourth and final assassin was known as Hitokiri Tsuinkiba, otherwise known as "Twin Fang" for his signature style of dual blade swordsmanship," he said._  
 _"Doesn't sound very unique to me," I said._

 _The man shook his head._

 _"The reason he was called Twin Fang is because he was able to wield two swords...in a **reverse grip** ," he said._  
 _"He was a practitioner of reverse grip sword fighting?" I said in disbelief.  
"He wasn't just a practitioner, he was a master of it...he was undefeated in any sort of sword fight and he was flexible enough to use other styles of swordsmanship...of all the hitokiri, he was the most skilled swordsman, hands down one of the greatest to have ever wielded a blade," explained the man._

 _I nodded slowly._

 _"He carried out every single one of his contracts without fail but he suddenly disappeared...around the same time_ _Buraddosupirā committed a major crime," he said.  
"You're referring to the Jikotsu Massacre?" I asked._

 _The man nodded._

 _"Jikotsu Road was attacked by_ _Buraddosupirā and he slaughtered nearly forty people that night...it is for that reason that military personnel always patrol that area until the day_ _Buraddosupirā is caught," said the man._

 _I noticed the lack of a picture of the fourth hitokiri._

 _"We have not been able to find any information on the final man...so this is about where our knowledge ends,"_

* * *

 **Present Time**

"This can only be the work of Hitokiri Buraddosupirā...unless someone has taken up his tendencies as well," I said.

Irou nodded.

"Then I fear the situation is even more dangerous for your apprentice...he is the most feared of the hitokiri and his skill with a sword surpasses even my own, perhaps even Master Ma's," said Irou.

I swallowed hard.

 _"Be careful Shirubā...if this is the same man...your skills will be put to the ultimate test,"_

* * *

 **Shinketsu Village- Shinketsu Inn**

"Good evening, how may I be of assistance tonight?" asked the receptionist.

Shirubā bowed graciously.

"A room for a about four days," she asked.

The receptionist smiled upon noticing the emblem of her clan: a ribbon detailing a green lotus.

"You're a member of the Shikaku clan...you are always welcome here in Shinketsu; your clan's leader helped to liberate this village several years ago and we are forever in your debt," she said.

Shirubā nodded gratefully as the receptionist took her to her room.

"Stay here for as long as you need to and feel free to indulge in the food and festivities, please let me know if there's anything I can do to make you more comfortable," she said.

Shirubā nodded once more as the receptionist left the room.

 **...**

 **Twenty Minutes Later- The Tavern**

I swallowed another helping of sake as I turned to look at crowd of people in the room. It as quite lively here; several tables were placed together to create large groups of drinking workers as well as some of the military that patrolled outside of the village. It was quite peaceful...and for a few moments, I had even forgotten that my mission was to eliminate a murderer. I suddenly heard the smashing of a bottle and I turned to see that a man had dropped it and was now grabbing a waitress by her arm.

"I said get me more...and I meant right now," he snapped.

She was clearly distressed by the man's attitude and his grip could not have been comfortable at all considering how in pain she appeared to be. I cursed under my breath as I realized that I had a little too much sake and there wasn't much I could do to help. The man soon caught sight of me and released the woman.

"Well well, silver hair? What a beautiful woman!" he snickered.

He and the entire table of men soon began to approach me and I felt a shiver go down my spine.

 _"If I fight them...if that ronin is here...he'll know my skills and will probably leave...I have to get out of here,"_

I tried to move but two men were suddenly behind me.

"So what's your story beautiful? Where you from?" he asked.

I continued to be silent as I attempted to move away.

"I'm not interested in speaking to the likes of you," I said.

He grabbed my hand and I immediately wrenched it from his grip.

"Oh? You're a feisty one aren't you?" he snickered.

The two men behind me grabbed me by both my arms as he approached me.

"I just want to get to know you better...why the fuss?" he asked.

I gasped as I felt his hand on my chin.

"Do you all really have to fight right now? In a place like this?"

I turned to see a man, dressed in the garb of the Tengoku clan, bearing the emblem of the Hawk.

"Who're you pretty boy?" asked the man.  
"A guy who hates shitheads like you for ruining a good night," he replied.

He had a well built frame and even though he did not have the signature bow on his back, he still looked like a battle hardened warrior.

"Let's not ruin the peace shall we?" he asked.

The man released my chin and fired a punch only to have it caught. The Tengoku clan member shook his head.

"Here I was hoping to avoid violence...guess I shouldn't expect any less considering how stupid you look," he said.

He threw the man to the ground and struck the two holding my arms with a swift punch each. He then took my hand and helped me out of the tavern.

"You alright?" he asked.  
"Who...are you?" I asked.  
"A friend of your clan," he replied.

He lay me on a chair and bowed with a smile.

"My clan calls me Uddosutōkā, but you can call me Keita," he replied.

I opened my mouth to reply but he stopped me before I could.

"Shirubā is it? I'm well aware of who you are," he said.  
"It's nice to meet you...but may I ask what you're doing here?" I replied.

He smiled.

"Visiting an old friend who's currently here," he replied.  
"Friend?"  
"You know the right hand of the Kenshi Clan?" he asked.  
"You mean Mizuho?" I replied.

He nodded.

"She and I go way back...she came here to visit her family and I caught wind of her trip so I decided to meet her here," he replied.

I nodded in comprehension.

"Sounds like something deeper for you to ride nearly three hours to Shinketsu..." I said raising an eyebrow.

He casually shrugged.

"She's been my friend for a very long time...and I haven't seen her in a while," he replied.

I sighed softly.

"I need to stop drinking so much sake...it really goes through me," I said.  
"Need help back to the inn?" he asked.

I nodded as he held out a hand and helped me to my feet.

"I'm assuming you're here about the ronin," he said.

I nodded.

"I've been tasked with eliminating him," I replied.  
"That's a lot easier said than done...because this seems to be the work of one of those hitokiri," he said.  
"Buraddosupirā is who it's pointing to," I mused.

He nodded.

"That man's skill with a sword is legendary...he's not going to be anything like the previous opponents you've fought," he warned.  
"It's for my clan...and also for the people of this province so I can't afford to fail," I said.

He nodded.

"I'm leaving the village tomorrow...so I wish you the best of luck,"


	4. The Wanderer

**(A/N): Chapter 3 coming right up!  
**

 **Glad I caught up on it all before I lost all the ideas. Chapter 4 should follow up quickly; I had actually written it to be a part of this chapter but I decided to split it because it exceeded the word limit I wanted to keep consistent in this particular story. I'll get it up as soon as I can but for now, let's hop right back into the action.**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: The Wanderer**

* * *

 **Three Days Later- Outside Shinketsu Village**

 _"I...I never pictured that it would end with this..."_

I looked to my arm, removing the dart that hit me only moments ago as I brought it to my nose and smelled.

 _"There's no mistaking it...Giant Hornet venom is now pouring through my veins...there's nothing I can do without help..."_

I sank to the ground and closed my eyes.

 _"I suppose I've lived a great life...one that I spent serving my clan...I'm glad I was able to do so much for them,"_

I was thankful that I managed to get the smoke signal out for the village to clear out...now all I could do was hope that I managed to give them enough time to get away. I didn't however plan for myself to get captured and I didn't plan for there to be so many of them...I really should've known that the murderer would never be alone. My thoughts drifted back to my master and how I let her down...back to the friends I had back home...to the fact that I would not be able to see Tenjō become the province I wanted to see.

My thoughts drifted back to the last time I saw my master and the confidence I held in finally being able to take on a contract on my own...how I had longed to be able to truly prove myself worthy of my position at her side.

My vision began to blur...I felt my heart rate begin to slow down and it was getting difficult to stay awake until finally...everything went black...

 **...**

 ** _Earlier That Night- Shinketsu Village_**

 _The men went to the door and spoke rather softly. Two of the men immediately ran outside, leaving the one who was torturing the farmer behind. This was my chance. As he approached to punch him again, I snuck up behind him and grabbed him by his neck before slamming my hand into his temple, knocking him out almost instantly. I quickly untied the farmer._

 _"Get out of here and head for the neighboring village...it is no longer safe here," I warned._

 _The man nodded and immediately ran off. I then dragged the stunned guard over to the shadows and waited for him to wake up. As he finally stirred, I wrapped my legs around his neck._

 _"You have five sentences to tell me where the hitokiri is hiding and if I don't like what you say, your neck is going to snap in ways you can't imagine," I snapped._

 _He attempted to reach for a weapon but I immediately stomped on his elbow, cracking the bone and causing him to howl in agony._

 _"All you had to do was not threaten innocent people...now you pay the price," I said._

 _I sat down beside him and removed a kunai from the pouch on my belt._

 _"Where is the hitokiri?" I asked._  
 _"He'll kill me if I tell you anything..." he cried._  
 _"And you think I won't?"_

 _Before he could retort, I violently stabbed him in the broken arm, causing him to once again howl in pain._

 _" **WHERE IS HE!** " I demanded._

 _No response so I pulled the trigger one more time._

 _" **I'M NOT GOING TO ASK AGAIN,** " I growled._

 _The man looked towards an open gate on the other side of the road._

 _"He...he's in there...now please let me go..." he cried._

 _I shook my head._

 _"You lost your chance for mercy once you lay a hand on these innocent people..." I said._

 _I grabbed him by the head with my legs and violently shifted them to the right, snapping his neck._

* * *

 **The Following Morning- Somewhere Outside Shinketsu Village**

My eyes slowly opened but the moment I felt life return to my body, I felt intense pain shoot through every nerve in my head.

 _"H-H-How...am I still alive?"_

It was supposed to be easy...it was supposed to be clean but the hitokiri was waiting for me once I got over there. I had no idea how he knew I was coming...but he had taken every precaution imaginable. He struck me with a poison dart that surely should've killed me but somehow...I was still here. I was still breathing.

"You've awakened,"

I turned to see a man dressed in a black hakama. Unlike traditional hakama, he wore an extra layer, causing it to form an almost coat like appearance. He approached me with a cup that was steaming.

"I gave you antivenom for the hornet poison...but your body is very weak so drink this, it will help," he said.

He offered me the cup but I immediately noticed that he was carrying a sword at his side. He seemed to sense my discomfort and placed the cup in front of me.

"You have no reason to trust me...but I was the one who rescued you from those men," he explained.  
"You...you fought all of those swordsmen?" I asked.

He shook his head.

"They were gone...I found you passed out against a tree so I decided to help you," he explained.

He looked down at my uniform and eyed me for a brief moment.

"You bear the green lotus of the Shikaku clan and your silver hair makes it obvious as to who you are...Shirubā Inuzuki," he said.

I looked at him with astonishment.

"How...do you know my last name?" I asked.  
"I've learned many things in my time wandering these lands...rest assured that I am no enemy of any of the clans of Tenjō," he said.

I looked at him carefully, scanning for any signs of malicious intent but detected nothing. I slowly picked up the cup and began to drink it.

"It's...absolutely _**putrid**_ ," I groaned.  
"Most things that are good for the body do not taste very good," he said shrugging.

He sat down in front of the fire and removed a pot from it before sharing some of the contents into a small bowl.

"You were unconscious for 14 hours, I took you here because the village can't be a safe place so long as those men still remain there," he explained.

I shook my head.

"It's my fault for getting involved and trying to take on all of them on my own but I must finish the job; that man has taken over the village and there's no stopping it unless he falls," I said.

The man looked at me, as if scanning for something.

"You would risk your life to battle one of the most feared swordsmen in all of Japan in addition to all of the men under his command in order to carry out a contract?" he asked.  
"It extends far beyond just simply that...I serve a cause to better the province and fulfilling this is the way I believe I can help my country to become a better place...it's not simply because I was trained to never allow myself to fail," I said.

The man seemed convinced of my intentions and nodded.

"If you truly believe that you must then I will not stop you...but you must be careful; the leader of these men is one of the legendary hitokiri of Kyoto, the most infamous of them all," he said.

I nodded.

"I will be...thank you for all of your help...I never caught your name," I said.

He shook his head.

"My name is Takeda, Takeda Yuen," he replied.

 **~ o ~**

 **Later That Night- Shinketsu Village**

Shirubā knew that she wasn't in any condition to take on a small army on her own...but every day she spent way gave the rebels more time to gather their strength. After telling the kind man who nursed her back to health goodbye, she quickly made her way back to the village, using the large fields to conceal herself as she made her way towards the tavern where she knew her target was hiding.

 _"There's no way I'll be able to fight the entirety of their ranks on my own...I have to get in and face him alone...it's my only chance,"_

Seeing an opening, Shirubā made her way to the back entrance to the tavern, concealing herself inside of a tool shed as she waited for the two guards at the back to leave.

"Who would've thought that working for a hitokiri would pay so well...maybe things will get better for us after all," said one of the men.

The other man shook his head.

"I'd rather be on his side than against him...I don't at all think it would be wise for anyone to oppose him...I have to give that woman who tried to kill him last night a lot of credit...but there's no way she survived such a massive amount of hornet poison," he said.  
"How do you know?" asked his companion.  
"Buraddosupirā only uses those tools when he can't catch his victim...since this woman was clearly of the Shikaku clan, he had no qualms in using those tools to kill her because there's no way any mere man could catch a kunoichi of that clan...they're just too quick," he said.

A loud bell went off, distracting the men from the duty. As soon as they left the door, Shirubā quickly made her way inside, sticking to the shadows as she made her way upstairs.

 _"The police told me to create a red smoke signal if I needed their help...I guess now more than ever I really do,"_

Shirubā reached into the pouch on her belt and removed three smoke bombs from them.

 _"About three of these into the fireplace should bring them running,"_

She quickly made her way over to the main room, thankful that the bell indeed brought all of the men outside of the building. She threw the bombs into the fireplace, filling the air with red smoke as she quickly ran up the stairs, reaching into her pocket for her kunai. She stealthily made her way up to the only room with any real light and peered inside to see that the man she had to kill was sitting in the middle, almost as if he were waiting for something.

"So you've returned..."

Shirubā sense a presence behind her and immediately ducked under a sword slash. She attempted to recover but was met with a hard kick to the stomach, sending her through the sliding doors and into the room.

"Excellent work my friend...I knew I could count on you to keep her from taking the easy way out," he said.

He then threw a pouch of gold to the man, who smiled at him.

"Our business is concluded...now leave us,"

Shirubā looked at the man that just kicked her and immediately recognized him.

"Chau...you've betrayed us?!" she said in disbelief.

He shrugged.

"You're a fool to think you could kill a murderer like him...and I need coin to leave this place to get to Kyoto so of course I did," he said.

He left the room as Shirubā turned to face her opponent...the legendary Hitokiri Buraddosupirā. The man was every bit as fearsome as his reputation described him to be. A huge scar on his left cheek along with an extremely well built body made him a truly intimidating opponent. He rose to his feet and drew his sword.

"It'll be lovely to carve you to pieces...maybe I'll keep you alive long enough to let you watch me sever your limbs..." he said sadistically.

A loud scream broke both of them from their conflict as they heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Much to Shirubā's astonishment, it was Takeda who entered the room.

"I never thought I'd see you again after all these tears...Zakuno," he said.

He laughed loudly as he pointed his sword towards Takeda.

"Impressive...I didn't think your skills were still honed after all this time," he said.  
"T-T-Takeda? W-W-What are you doing here?" gasped Shirubā.

He turned to her, giving her a cold but firm stare.

"You told her the wanderer's story? How typical of you...you'd lie to someone that damn beautiful? Some redeemed soul you are," said Zakuno.

Takeda closed his eyes.

"You've slaughtered many innocent people Zakuno...I've searched for you for nearly three years and now, it's time for me to stop you," he said.

Takeda drew his sword and stood in front of Shirubā, giving Zakuno a cold stare.

"You won't harm another innocent person ever again after tonight...I swear it,"

 **~ o ~**

I...I couldn't believe what I was seeing. The man who saved me had now suddenly appeared in town and was facing down one of the greatest swordsmen...without even flinching. My eyes widened even further as I noticed how calm Takeda was. His eyes were focused and even though it was very difficult for me to read his facial expression, he seemed not even remotely scared.

 _"How...how can he be so calm?..."_

Zakuno immediately charged at him and swung his sword only for Takeda to parry it and fire a kick. He dodged the blow as Takeda rolled out of the way of another slash. Jumping to his feet, he blocked another slash as he swung one of his own, barely missing Zakuno's chest as it tore through some of his armor. The duel continued with neither man able to best the other and after several yearlong seconds, they broke from each other.

"You haven't lost a bit of your skill after all these years...but you have one great weakness," said Zakuno.

He removed a dagger from his armor and before I could even react, he threw it and it connected with my right leg. Takeda looked back to see that I was hit and for the first time, I saw a glint of fear in his eyes.

"You care too much for the innocent...it was the reason why you could never be a real hitokiri back in those days...you were always soft on others and you could never develop the bloodlust that our fellows had...you were always weak..." growled Zakuno.

Takeda's eyes suddenly changed. He closed them and once he reopened them, I felt a completely difference in his disposition. His kindness and concern that was evident before had all but disappeared and as he turned to face Zakuno. Much to my shock, Takeda raised his sword into a reverse grip and stood in front of me.

"You're going to suffer for all the lives you've taken...I'll make sure of it," he said.

Even his voice turned cold and heartless...almost as if his personality underwent a coin toss. He immediately charged at Zakuno with almost blinding speed and swiftly slashed at his chest. Zakuno just barely managed to block the slash.

"You swore to your sister that you'd never slay a man in cold blood ever again didn't you? You're doing a fine job of it by going back to the way you once were," he said.  
"Shut your mouth," replied Takeda.

He kicked Zakuno hard in the stomach, sending him rolling across the ground.

"My sister wouldn't have been in such a state if you didn't murder that noble...then the village would never have gotten attacked and all of this conflict across the province wouldn't have escalated...in order for peace to even have a chance at returning, you must cease to draw breath," he said.

Zakuno attempted to get to his feet but Takeda was already in front of him and kicked him once more in his stomach, rolling him even further across the room as he stood over him.

"You think you're the best at wielding a sword...but you've never once considered any of your weaknesses and now, your cockiness will be your undoing," said Takeda.

He raised his sword but Zakuno tried to slash him across his chest. Much to my surprise, Takeda was able to not only dodge the strike, but also kick the sword clean out of Zakuno's hand as he drove his sword into his arm.

"I severed a large number of the blood vessels in your arm...your reign as Hitokiri Buraddosupirā is over," he said.

He raised his sword to finish him but for some reason, he turned to me and sheathed it upon noticing my leg wound.

"The police will see that you suffer for your crimes...this will be the last time we see each other Zakuno...farewell," he said.

The blood loss was really beginning to get to me and soon...I faded to black once more.

* * *

 **The Following Morning- Shinketsu Inn**

I slowly stirred as I sat up to find myself in a bed. I looked around frantically to see that all of my gear was neatly laid out on a table to my left. My leg wound was bandaged up and even though it felt very deep last night, I didn't feel much pain from it.

"You've awakened,"

I turned to see a face I didn't in the least expect...my master.

"My lady...I...I'm so sorry..." I said.

She shook her head and smiled at me.

"It's alright...I understand how difficult your mission was but the end result was achieved regardless; Hitokiri Buraddosupirā has been sentenced to death and he does not have the sword arm to fight his way out of this," she said.

I sighed softly.

"I need you to answer me one very important question though," she said.  
"Anything my lady," I replied.

She looked at me with a very serious face.

"Who was the one who rescued you; the police did not arrive until well within the night so someone had to be there to have saved you; your leg wound was very deep and there was no way you could've escaped on your own," she said.

I looked down.

"His name..."  
"Are you referring to me?"

I looked to the door to see that Takeda had entered, smiling at the two of us.

"I'm truly sorry for interfering with Shikaku affairs...but it was just as much of a mission to me as it was to you both," he explained.  
"Who are you?"

I had never seen my master so serious before; it was as if she was angry at him.

"I am a wanderer whose final mission has finally been completed...and all I seek is to continue along my way," he replied.  
"Answer the question," she snapped.

She immediately closed the gap between them and swung her kodachi at him but he produced a sword from seemingly nowhere and blocked the blow, holding the hilt in his left hand and exposing just enough of the blade to block it.

"That's a rather friendly way of greeting someone who saved your apprentice's life," he said.

He nodded and stepped away from her, sheathing his blade as he sat down.

"I apologize for lying to you about my identity Shirubā, I did not want anyone to know what I am about to tell the two of you," he said.

He closed his eyes.

"Takeda Yuen is one of the many names I have taken on...during my days as Hitokiri Tsuinkiba," he explained.

He then removed both swords from his person and placed them in front of him.

"My real name...does not exist because I do not possess one," he explained.  
"Explain," I said.

He nodded.

"To do that...I'll have to explain what happened from the first day I picked up a sword,"


	5. The Tale Of Hitokiri Tsuinkiba

**(A/N): Chapter 4 incoming!  
**

 **Time to get into the more interesting stuff I think. Had a lot planned for this chapter and unlike last chapter, I'm going to write it all in its entirety. A shout out to a very special person at the end as well as some other mentions.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: The Tale Of Hitokiri Tsuinkiba**

* * *

 _ **15 Years Ago- Nakematsu Village, The Province Of** **Tōsandō**_

 _"What shall we do with this one?"  
_

 _The man raised his sword at me as I struggled to break out of my bindings._

 _"Do not slay him...keep him alive," snapped the general.  
"But why my lord? He killed four of our men," replied the soldier._

 _The general shook his head._

 _"This boy...there's no way that he's only a child...he managed to slay four samurai entirely on his own," he said._

 _He smiled._

 _"We will rehabilitate him and recruit him into our ranks,"  
"My lord! Three yet live,"_

 _I looked on in horror as three men brought my parents and...my little sister to the man they served. The man smiled almost evilly._

 _"The first step of this rehabilitation is to sever all past ties...hold them all steady," he said._

 _My eyes widened as I began to cry out._

 _"Mother...Father..."_

 _They could not respond as their mouths were all covered with a cloth. Much to my horror...the general shoved his sword through my father's chest, leaving him to bleed to death as he kicked him to the ground. He then approached my mother._

 _"Rebels...are not tolerated by the Tokugawa Dynasty...this is what will happen to anyone who stands in our way," he said._

 _I screamed out as he slit my mother's throat, right before my eyes as he let her body fall lifelessly to the ground. He then turned to my little sister and I screamed once more._

 _"STOP! Please...spare her...I will do anything you ask...just don't hurt her," I begged._

 _The general smiled at me._

 _"So you can speak...very well, release the girl," he said._

 _The samurai released her as they grabbed my by my bound arms._

 _"She will be taken to Kyoto where she will serve Lord Hakido Tsuchigata until the end of her days," he said._

 _I watched on, powerless to stop them as they took my sister outside..._

 _"You show excellent proficiency with the sword...even at such a young age so in order to keep your sister alive, you will serve Kyoto in whatever way we see fit...do I make myself clear?" said the man._

 _I reluctantly nodded...unaware of the hell I would put myself through in the years to come._

* * *

 **Present Time- Shinketsu Inn**

"At the age of 9, I was taken to a castle in Kyoto...where I was rigorously trained to become a swordsman," he said.  
"How could you even keep up with the rest of the soldiers? A 9 year old boy couldn't possibly be able to do so," I said.

He looked at me and closed his eyes.

"My father trained me in the art of swordsmanship since I was five years old...by the time I was 9, I was proficient enough to hold my own against most people in the village," he replied.

My eyes widened; how could someone do such a thing to a child at such a young age? Wielding a sword at the age of 5?! Madness.

"He always believed that I would need those skills to do something great one day...which is the reason I became a hitokiri," he said.  
"You think being a murderer is a good thing?" snapped Gurin.

He shook his head.

"Very few causes are worth serving...and even fewer men but at the time, I truly believed that Kyoto was the future for all of Japan; the Tokugawa Dynasty is spreading at an alarming rate and it was the only way I saw peace returning to the panicked provinces across the country," he explained.

He then unsheathed his sword.

"I was given this sword by a smith when I was 15...for my first contract as a hitokiri," he explained.  
"You were a hitokiri...at the age of 15?" I asked.

He nodded.

"I slew many people...but unlike my fellows, I did not take pleasure in taking innocent life...so I resorted to only killing my contract targets, never another man or woman," he said.  
"How many people did you kill?" asked Gurin.

He closed his eyes.

"186," he replied.

My eyes widened.

"You...you have the most kills across all of them," I gasped.  
"I was brainwashed into believing that every kill I finished was another victory for the Tokugawa Dynasty and one step closer to peace...so I did everything they asked of me but once I discovered that the Shogun only wished to weaken every other province to annex it into his regime...I sheathed my sword for the final time as a hitokiri," he said.

He then unsheathed the second sword.

"This sword...belongs to my sister and I've searched for her for a very long time," he said.  
"So when you disappeared...during the Jikotsu Massacre...that wasn't you?" asked Gurin.  
"I was there...but I did not slay anyone, I tried to stop Zakuno," he replied.

My master nodded.

"So you became a wanderer...it doesn't help that you and Zakuno have a similar distinguishing feature," she said pointing to his left cheek.

He nodded.

"Zakuno tried to frame me by carving that scar so that I would take the fall for his crimes...but your apprentice helped me in finally tracking him down so I could settle the score and for that, I cannot thank you enough," he said bowing respectfully.  
"So what's next for you then?" I asked.

He looked at me as his eyes narrowed.

"I'm...not sure, the trail I had on my sister went cold when I stopped to help Shinketsu so...I'll probably have to travel nearer to Kyoto to pick up anything I can concerning her whereabouts," he said.  
"Why not come stay with the Shikaku?" asked Gurin.

He looked at her in disbelief.

"I have many spies throughout the provinces...the least I can do is help you find your sister in return for saving her life," she continued.  
"...Won't your clan look upon me in disdain?" he asked.

She shook her head.

"They will not lift a finger to harm you if I welcome you as a guest to our village," she replied.

He looked down as he attached both his swords to his person.

"I...will consider your offer," he replied.

After bowing once more, he left the room.

* * *

 **Later That Afternoon- The Tavern**

"What are we waiting for here?" I asked.  
"We're supposed to collect a message from the Shogun, informing us of the rendevous point for the unit once we've gathered in Rodosha," replied Gurin.

I looked away, watching the now refilled tavern.

 _"To think that yesterday, this place didn't even have a single person inside of it because everyone ran away to the other village...it's like it's transformed into an entirely different place,"_

"Who's the one bringing the message?" I continued.  
"I'm not sure...supposedly one of his emissaries," replied Gurin.

I sat and watched on, my eyes hovering over Takeda, who was casually having a drink with some of the patrons at the counter.

 _"Even though he's killed so many people and he's probably the most feared swordsmen alive right now...he doesn't look like a cold-blooded killer at all,"_

"Your eyes haven't left him at all for the past fifteen minutes Shiruba...is everything alright?"

I turned to my master and my eyes narrowed.

"Last night...I saw a different side of him when he was fighting with the other hitokiri...it was a side that chilled me to the bone," I replied.  
"What do you mean?" she asked.

I let out a breath and took a sip of the sake in front of me.

"He seems like a really kind man...he's the one who saved me and took care of me when I was wounded before but when he was fighting...it was as if he turned into a whole different person," I explained.  
"He seemed a lot more like his title?" she asked.

I nodded slowly.

"His sword style changed too; he fought Zakuno to about an even stalemate but once he hit me with the knife...it was as if he changed into a different man," I explained.

Gurin nodded slowly.

"If he didn't talk to me...I would never have known his kinder side and I likely would've believed he was only a murderer," she said.  
"He spoke to you?" I asked.  
"He told me everything that happened and he was also the one who tended to your wound...he's actually very talented with medicinal herbs and treating injuries so he insisted that he did it; he blamed himself for you getting hit with that knife," she explained.

 _"He...blamed himself?"_

I noticed his gentle smile as he handed the bottle back to the woman tending the counter as he handed her a small tip of coin. She happily smiled back at him before handing him a small bag, most likely filled with herbs.

"He seems like a very pleasant man, maybe he could fit in with our clan," said Gurin.

I raised an eyebrow.

"We're going to accept an outsider after all of this time?" I asked.  
"He is no ordinary man; he's one of the greatest swordsmen in all of Japan right now and there must be a lot of things he can tell us about Kyoto and even the other provinces; he's been a wandering for several years and considering he was born all the way in Tōsandō, he traveled a very long way," she replied.

I nodded slowly; I began to see how advantageous he really could prove to be were he an ally of ours.

"Besides...you seem to have taken a liking to him," she teased.

I blushed and shook my head.

"Shikaku kunoichi aren't allowed to have such thoughts..." I said.  
"No one's telling the others anything," replied Gurin with a wink.

A loud horn broke us from our conversation as a man, dressed in the garb of the Shogunate entered the room.

"I come seeking the leader of the Shikaku clan," he said.

Gurin smiled and approached him, giving him a warm hug.

"It's good to see you again Palika," she said.

He nodded firmly as he noticed me.

"Your apprentice has grown into quite the young woman I must say," he said with a smile.

He handed the scroll to her as he approached me.

"I haven't seen you since you were still training at the academy Shirubā, it's good to see you again after all this time," he said.

I bowed respectfully to him; he was the second most powerful man in all of Tenjō and served as a bridge to the Shogun himself.

"I hear the most infamous of the hitokiri was captured last night thanks to you," he said.  
"Not entirely...in fact I didn't do all that much because I was injured," I replied.  
"Oh? So who did?" he asked.

I didn't even notice that Takeda had reached my side.

"There's a face I haven't seen in years," he said.

Palika's eyes widened but he smiled brightly.

"I didn't think I'd ever see you again my old friend," he said.  
"You...know who he is?" I asked.  
"You're talking to a hero...he saved my home village by assassinating a general from the province of Osumi...my entire family has him to thank for their lives," replied Palika.

Takeda bowed respectfully to Palika but he shook his head.

"My friend, you bow to no man," he said.

Takeda shook his head.

"You are second in command of this province...I must show my respect despite our friendship my lord," he said respectfully.

Palika shook his head .

"What brings you to Shinketsu?" asked Palika.  
"The search for my sister...a lead brought me here but now the trail has gone cold," he replied.

Palika shook his head.

"I can have my scouts keep an eye out for her if you'd like and I can also have some of our spies do some digging," offered Palika.

The hitokiri nodded with a smile.

"I appreciate your help my lord," he said.  
"So we are to come to the castle for our first task?"

Gurin had approached us after reading the scroll.

"The rest of the unit is to meet in Kurakari Town and my men and I are to escort you all to the Shogun's castle," replied Palika.

Takeda went back to the counter and retrieved his bag as he turned to Palika.

"It was great to see you again after all this time my friend...I do wish we had more time together but I have to get going," he said.  
"You aren't joining us? We could use your sword for the hardships to come," replied Palika.

He put a hand to his chin.

"My days as a killer are at an end...I cannot offer bloodshed as aid to this cause," he replied.  
"We don't seek to kill anyone...only to strike at the rebels who are attempting to invade Tenjō," replied Palika.

He raised his eyebrow.

"Invade?" he asked.  
"Tenjō has been seen as a very advantageous position for the campaigns of other generals...and they seek to assassinate Shogun Du to claim this land for their cause and I cannot allow that to happen...please, we can use all the help we can get," he begged.  
"What of your allies?" asked the wanderer.  
"Everyone has disappeared...treaties seem to hold no effect over favors we are owed and all we have to rely on are the four clans," replied Palika.

He let out a breath.

"I hold no attachment to my name and reputation as a killer anymore but many people, especially the ones who I have wronged would never accept my help," he said.  
"This unit is meant to serve as a task force...known only to the Shogunate and no others," replied Palika.

Takeda closed his eyes.

"I...will consider it but for now, I must return to the neighboring village, my horse and the rest of my belongings are still at a small camp there," he said.  
"Take this map...you can use it to get to Rodosha, we will leave for the castle in two days," said Palika.

Takeda nodded as he turned to Gurin and I.

"It was an honor to meet the two of you...I do not know if we will meet again but I wish you both safe travel home and luck with your missions," he said.

Gurin shook his hand firmly.

"My offer to stay in my village will stand for as long as you live," she said.

He smiled at her as he turned to me.

"Take care of yourself...don't do anything too rash," he said.

I rolled my eyes but shook his hand.

"You saved my life twice...and we're merely strangers," I said.

He smiled at me.

"Perhaps one day, we can change that," he said.

I had no idea why my heart rate suddenly sped up nor why my cheeks grew warm but I smiled at him.

"I'd like that...a lot," I replied.

After one more respectfully nod, Takeda left the tavern.


	6. Sanctuary

**(A/N): Chapter 5 already?! Yeah. I wrote most of this already so I just decided to finish it off today.**

 **I'm still waiting for some more art to get done before I really get into the meat of this story (including the first ever cover art for a story of mine!).**

 **Hope you guys continue to enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Sanctuary**

* * *

 **Three Days Later- The Castle Courtyard**

"In a place like this...you'd never think that there are armies that long to see this place fall,"

I looked away, nodding slowly.

"Hopefully...we can bring these ambitions to an end," I replied.

I felt his hand on my shoulder.

"We'll do nothing but our best," he said.

I smiled at his words and hugged him.

"I'm glad to have you at my side Masahiro," I said.  
"As am I...Kayla," he replied.

A gong going off broke us from our conversation as we turned to see the Shogun himself, coming down the stairs towards the courtyard. I looked around to see that all four of the clans' representatives had gathered as planned and all we needed now was his orders.

"I'm sure you are aware of the reason why all of you have fathered here today," said Masaharu.

A collective nod followed his words as he approached us.

"You all are the best of the best of the four clans that have kept this province together for all these years and now, we have a very urgent crisis on our hands that only you are capable of stopping," he continued.

Everyone continued to look at the man they all referred to as Shogun or even Overlord for some. I immediately thought back to conversations I had with Masahiro; he always spoke about the need of an elite team that was capable of handling many of the missions without expending too much resources in order to keep the rest of the province strong. A small unit that kept in contact with hawks and scrolls would also be relatively easy to keep track of.

"This is the entire unit?" asked Gurin.

I looked around to see every representative from the four clans.

From the Rodosha clan came their leader, Yuki Liu who was acclaimed as the greatest tactical mind among us all. Despite her small stature in addition to her feeble appearance, she was the one who plotted most of the Rodosha's economic plans in addition to building many of the villages that the clans now called home. She wore glasses due to slightly blurry eyesight but despite this, she was a relatively competent warrior, especially with a hankyū. With her came her assistant, Higana who was essentially a less experienced version of herself. Unlike her mistress however, she chose to learn how to use a daikyū. She also wore glasses but didn't require them as much as her mistress. She was taller and larger than Yuki and rather than the almost waist length dark brown hair, she cut hers short and dyed it to a much lighter brown.

Two men also accompanied them. One of them was a trade specialist named Seto Iwasaki, who was particularly close to Yuki due to them being friends during most of their childhood. He didn't possess particularly great sword skills but was quite skilled with a bow, though nowhere near the proficiency of any member of the Tengoku clan. He wore glasses and had spiky hair that somehow always managed to defy gravity, standing up and never drooping. His job would be to establish all trade relations within the group with him acting as a voice of the Shogun himself in this regard. With him came a second man named Ichiru Tadeo. It was a well known fact that the Rodosha clan held no laws against romantic ties between the nobles and "lesser" in social class and the relationship between Yuki and Ichiru was one such case. They were very close to each other; Ichiru was rarely seen not at her side unless he had to travel to other locations. He had almost cheek length black hair, left to flare over his eyes and also wore glasses. Ichiru was a competent archer but was not a person I believed could hold his own in a battle setting.

From the Kenshi clan, in addition to Masters Ma, Irou and Mizuho, one other man came with them. Tall, well built and known throughout the clan for his moniker, " **確かにストライカー"** or " _The Sure Striker_ ", his name was Tashika Yun. He was Irou's personal bodyguard, friend and apprentice all in one. Unlike most of the Kenshi clan, Tashika rarely ventured out on tasks for the clan and instead preferred to stand guard at the village. He earned his moniker due to his tendency to always make very calm and calculated attacks that never failed to find their mark. He was also remarkably agile, rivaling even that of Mizuho who was acclaimed as the most agile member of the clan. Tashika was also one of the few members of the clan to have great proficiency with a daikyū, something that many of the samurai of the clan did not take the time to learn.

From my own clan, I was here along with Mistress Gurin and Sairensu. Both women needed no introduction thanks to their incredible skills, though this would be the first time that Gurin actually went on any sort of mission with a member of her clan; she usually did her work solo. This would also be the first time Sairensu would venture outside of the province since she became a kunoichi. She was the youngest of the elite kunoichi and unlike my master or myself, she was not very well known as she hasn't fulfilled enough contracts to warrant a reputation...though she was quickly proving herself to be an excellent assassin, easily overcoming all of her training and trials and making them look easy. She had long brown hair and unlike other kunoichi, her clan emblem was not a part of her belt but was instead signified by the scarf she wore as a mask on her contracts.

The Tengoku clan contributed their leader, Kayla Tran and three of her best trained members.

The first member was known as Rōzu. She earned the moniker, " **ローズダンス"** or " _The Dancing Rose_ " due to her excellent balance with a bow and a sword. She was the only member of the clan who chose not to learn how to use a standard Japanese katana and instead mastered the use of two kodachis. She was very well known for her accuracy, being only second to her master and earned her name from how gracefully she was able to shift from firing a bow into a fighting stance with her kodachis. She was a rather beautiful woman and stood at around 5' 5". She had slightly longer than neck length hair, dark brown in color and slightly pale skin, despite the lengthy amount of time she spends outdoors.

The second person was the same man who helped me back in my time in Shinketsu, Keita. I didn't know much about his reputation in his village apart from him being one of the few male members of the elite as the Tengoku was a predominantly female clan. He and I had a rather warm reunion when he arrived and we even shared a drink together.

The third and final person was a woman named Sakina Lei, otherwise known for her moniker of " **葉の悪魔** " or " _Demon Of The Leaves_ ". She earned her moniker for her ability to completely conceal herself within vegetation and still very accurately hit her targets. She also had the distinction of mastering both the use of a daikyū and the hankyū, making her an extremely versatile archer in addition to having extremely sharpened senses due to the extensive training she had with both. She was also a rather attractive woman though she rarely showed her face due to her tendency to wear a cloak during most of the day.

Much to my dismay however, the hitokiri did not come.

"It is indeed my lord," said Palika.

Masaharu nodded.

"I'm glad that all of you were able to come here today and know that everything you do from here on out will help shape the future of this province," he said.

A loud gong interrupted us and a few seconds later, a guard came running.

"Lord Du, a man has arrived on a horse bearing two swords, he says he wishes to speak to you," said the guard.

Masaharu nodded.

"Bring him here," he ordered.

The guard bowed once more.

"At once my lord," he said as he zipped off.

 _"Did...he really come?"_

A few seconds later, I felt a smile creep up as the man I had thought about prominently for the last two days indeed appeared, dressed in completely different clothing than when I first met him. Masaharu's eyes widened upon noticing the swords and much to everyone's surprise, he bowed respectfully.

"Those two swords...the scar on your cheek and the all black clothing? You could only be the _Hitokiri Tsuinkiba_ ," he said.

Takeda shook his head and bowed to Masaharu.

"I do not use that name anymore...call me Takeda Yuen," he replied.

He lowered his head.

"You are a Shogun my lord, you should never bow to any man...it is I who should be respectful to you," he said.

Masaharu looked at him in disbelief.

"You...you avenged my wife's life when you brought _The Blood Spiller_ to justice...that is something I cannot thank you enough for," he said.  
"I had my own reasons for helping but I'm glad my exploits also helped you," replied Takeda.

Much to my astonishment, a kunai flew through the air and Takeda just barely managed to dodge it. I turned to see that it was Sairensu who had thrown it as she charged at him with blinding speed. She unsheathed her wakizashi and attacked him only to have him parry the blow with his sheathed sword.

"Sairensu! What's gotten into you!" I shouted.  
"This man...he's the one...who murdered my parents..." she growled.

My eyes widened as Takeda's face softened. He threw her off of him and lowered his sword.

"Sairensu! That's enough!" shouted Gurin.

The woman did not pay her any attention as she looked coldly at Takeda.

"You...how could you slay them in cold blood...why would you do such a horrible thing..." she cried.

Takeda closed his eyes.

"I remember you...it was my seventh contract as a hitokiri and I was assigned to assassinate your father...Yakumo Nishigata who was a noble who possessed a lot of power," he explained.

He knelt down in front of Sairensu, placing his swords in front of him.

"Your father was planning a rebellion against Shogun Du...I was assigned to stop the rebellion in its tracks so I indeed slayed him...but I did not kill your mother," he said.  
"LIAR!"

She swung her sword again but Takeda made no move to reach for his swords to defend himself. She stopped mere inches away from his head, hesitating greatly to finish what she started.

"You don't have to believe my words Sairensu but I was doing what I was ordered to do, defying a contract meant penalty of death and I cannot find my sister if I am dead...but I swear to you that I was not the one who killed your mother, it was your father who slew her," he explained.  
"My...my father killed her?" she asked in disbelief.  
"Your mother was trying to protect you from him because she knew what a rebellion would mean for your village and she begged for him to not go through with it...he saw this as betrayal and he stabbed her to death, if I did not kill him he likely would've killed you as well," he continued.

Sairensu dropped her blade as Takeda approached her.

"I never thought I'd ever see you to give you this...but that night, your mother did not die immediately and in her last words, she asked me to give this to you,"

He reached into his hakama and pulled out a small necklace.

"She said that she would always be with you...and that you should live a life fighting for a cause that you believe in," he said.

Sairensu accepted the necklace as Takeda put a hand on her shoulder.

"If you believe that I must die then I will not resist because I deserve it...I was nothing but a murderer for higher but I was led to believe that the cause I was killing for was a worthy one," he explained.

He picked up his swords and attached his to his side but kept the second one out before holding it out to Sairensu.

"This sword belongs to my little sister Fumiko...she's all I have left in this world and my life's mission is to find and rescue her so she can get her sword back," he said.

Sairensu accepted the sword and drew it.

"This...this feels brand new," she said.  
"I kept it in mint condition for the day I see her again," he replied.

She sheathed the sword and handed it back to him.

"Why have you come?" asked Masaharu.

After placing the second sword back on his person, Takeda turned to him.

"I'm here to assist your unit in whatever way I can," he replied.  
"The legendary Hitokiri Tsuinkiba...a very valuable asset to have indeed," said Masaharu.

He then turned to everyone.

"Everyone get on horseback, there is somewhere we must go just at the border between Tenjō and Shijo," said Masaharu.  
"Where is this?" asked Master Ma.

He smiled.

"A place that's been in the making for the last two years," he replied.

* * *

 **Later That Evening**

"You...you had this place erected just for us to use?" said Sakina.

Masaharu smiled.

"It's stocked and completed...anything else you need will be taken care of by Seto," said Palika.

Masaharu cleared his throat.

"I had this fortress built in order to house the unit, it has everything you could need in a base of operations," he said.

Kayla raised an eyebrow.

"Such as?" she asked.

Masaharu cleared his throat.

"There is a stable where there is a horse for each of you, a forge where I'm stationed two of my best craftsmen for your armor as well as your weapons, sleeping quarters with more than ample space for all of you...though we will have to get extra bedding for Mr. Yuen," he replied.  
"That will not be necessary; I prefer to sleep outdoors so I'll be comfortable," said Takeda.

Masaharu nodded.

"I suppose all that time you spent as a wanderer hardened you well?" he asked.  
"The night air is relaxing, as is the sound of nature," he replied.

He nodded once more as he turned to the rest of them.

"An aviary which has messenger hawks, this will be the main method that we keep in touch with each other," said Masaharu.  
"A wise idea...I don't really think riding nearly five hours to the castle would be realistic," said Higana.

Masahiro chuckled.

"Then you have your necessities such as kitchens, bathrooms as well two bathhouses," he continued.  
"Two?"  
"One for each sex," chuckled Masaharu.

Yuki rolled her eyes.

"You all can take tomorrow to settle in but the day after, the missions shall begin; I have a lot of work for all of you to do," said Masaharu.

Everyone bowed respectfully to the Shogun.

"Welcome to Sanctuary,"

* * *

 **Later That Night- The Training Area**

"You're...really fast with that sword," gasped Sakina.

Mizuho sheathed her blade after having just done one of her battojutsu techniques, cutting through three stalks of bamboo cleanly.

"The cuts are straight through...no grooves or dents...a fine cut," said Masahiro.

Mizuho bowed to her master.

"You've trained well," he said putting his hand on her shoulder.

She smiled at him.

"You've taught me so much about practice and self-improvement; it truly has changed the way I look at swordsmanship," she said.

Tashika then stepped up and put his hand on his katana.

"I guess I'll try it as well...I need the practice anyway," he said.

He unsheathed his sword at great speed, managing to slice through one stalk cleanly but cursed under his breath.

"Not used to battojutsu...it hurts my wrist," he said.

Masahiro put a hand on Tashika's shoulder.

"You'll get used to it young one," he said.  
"What about Takeda?" asked Mizuho.

Takeda looked up from his reading.

"Battojutsu? I practiced it a lot in my time yes," he said.

Mizuho stepped aside.

"Show me," she demanded.

He nervously rose to his feet and took a stance, placing his hand on the top of his katana. He took a deep breath and as he exhaled, he unsheathed his blade at a near unreal speed, slicing through four stalks of bamboo before quickly sheathing his sword. He moved so fast, the stalks did not have time to reach the ground before the blade reentered the sheath. Mizuho looked on in admiration and she smiled.

"I expected that of Hitokiri Tsuinkiba; your skills are on a different level compared to ours," she said.

He shook his head.

"My blade is in much better shape than yours and it's also designed to slice with as little effort as possible...your technique is grades above my own, I just happened to have a better sword," he said.

Mizuho looked at his sword and he smiled.

"Here, have a look," he said.

She accepted the blade from him and immediately noticed the weight of it.

"This...feels so light," she said  
"This blade was forged by a close friend of mine, it's light because it's adapted to suit a reverse grip style of swordplay; when wielding a blade in a reverse grip, you're much better at fighting in close quarters and tight spaces which was something I did a lot when I was a hitokiri...so once that was established, he crafted a blade that was sturdy but also very light," he explained.

Mizuho struck at a bamboo stalk with the sword and found that it easily passed through the wood, when her sword required much more force.

"The cutting power of this blade is incredible...I didn't have to exert much effort at all," she gasped.  
"It comes with its dangers; the blade can slice through skin like a hot knife through butter which makes control of it absolutely vital," he explained.

He took the sword back and sheathed it. Mizuho then looked at the second blade.

"What about that one?" she asked.  
"I don't use this sword, I carry it with me," he replied.  
"Then why were you known to wield two blades?" she asked.  
"The second one broke because I shattered it to mark the end of my life as a hitokiri," he replied.

Mizuho nodded.

"Maybe the smith can get you a second one," she said.

Takeda shook his head.

"Letting go of that second blade means more to me than just having a sword," he said.

He turned to leave.

"I'm going to see about getting some armor done with Ritsu, I'll see you all in the morning," he said.

His sudden change of disposition puzzled everyone present as he walked away.

 _"The second blade...I will never use that arm to harm another person ever again,"_

* * *

 **Late That Night- Yuki's Room**

"I'm glad you finished all of your work in time," I said.

Ichiru smiled at her as he climbed into the bed.

"Wouldn't let you go anywhere on your own," he replied with a smile.

I snuggled up next to him.

"The days ahead of us are going to be hard...and I know that it's going to be a bloodbath," she said.  
"We'll get through it the same way we always have...together," he said.

I kissed his cheek as he embraced me.

"Get some rest...we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow to prepare for the first task," he said.  
"Do you know what it is?" I asked.  
"I've heard talk of splitting the team into two halves, one half will attack an outpost controlled by the rebels while the others will assist an attacking force sent by the Shogun to take back a village," he replied.  
"Do we know who is going where?" I asked.

He shook his head.

"I'd think it would be ideal for you and I to help the army, I can see the Tengoku being advantageous in helping us fight because better archers means better cover fire," he explained.  
"The Kenshi and Shikaku would make taking that outpost a breeze...I'd better get up early and draw up the plans," I said.

He smiled.

"Always such a hard worker aren't you Yuki?" he teased.  
"I'm holding many of these lives in my hands...so I have to be at my very best," I replied.

He kissed my forehead.

"I have faith in you; you've never let any of us down before,"

I slowly allowed myself to drift to sleep in his arms.


	7. To Kanariko

**(A/N): After the poll, I decided to roll with this event first. Thanks for voting everyone and I do hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

 **SPECIAL NOTE: Special thanks to my good friend Sally for the artwork that helped inspire this chapter. Art links are coming soon everyone!**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: To Kanariko**

* * *

 _ **6 Years Ago- Outside Kanariko Village**_

 _"Is everything in order for our departure?"  
_ _"Prepared as you commanded my lord,"  
"Excellent,"_

 _I watched the general as he put a hand to his chin._

 _"Where has your partner gone?" he said._

 _I shook my head._

 _"I'm not particularly interested in what Zakuno does in his spare time," I replied.  
"How defiant of you..."_

 _I unsheathed my sword before he could even react and held it to his throat._

 _"I was assigned to follow your orders General Shen but as far as your personal matters go, they do not interest me in the slightest...and I want to make it perfectly clear that I do **not** bow to you nor do I consider you above me; your military tactics are sloppy and cause far too much bloodshed to be even considered feasible," I snapped._

 _He looked at me in fear._

 _"If I don't like what you're doing...I will leave this place without a second thought and you can find someone else to do your dirty work," I said._

 _I sheathed my sword and turned away._

 _"I will be awaiting my orders...I suggest you don't keep me waiting,"_

 **...**

 **Present Time- Just Outside Sanctuary**

I jolted awake from my dream, feeling my heart race frantically.

 _"...I guess I shouldn't expect any less considering all of the death I brought upon that place in my former days..."_

I was assigned to assassinate the village elder of Kanariko Village. He was said to be one of the rebel leaders and one of the most charismatic figures across their ranks. His death would strike a major blow to the rebel morale which would bring about the end of this war more quickly.

That was the justification to this kill that I took into battle...until it was time to finish him.

It was likely one of the most difficult kills I had to make; he truly seemed like a man who did nothing to bother society but...orders were orders. To defy a contract as a hitokiri meant death...and until I find my sister, I couldn't afford to die.

That was the first kill in which I truly wallowed in remorse...it continues to haunt me even now after I swore to never kill another man in cold blood again.

"You make a lot of noise when you sleep,"

I turned to see Gurin. I shook my head.

"Every man has his inner demons," I replied.  
"For someone like you, I'm amazed you haven't lost your sanity," she said.

I sighed softly.

"I'm not by any means sane...but I try to get by everyday," I said.

Gurin smiled at me.

"The Shogun decided to have us move together to retake Kanariko Village; the outpost is less of a concern and if we take the village back, we can get a lot more things into motion," she said.  
"What's the plan?" I asked.

She sat beside me and showed me a map.

"Yuki drew this up because we're going to have to split into teams," she said.

I shook my head.

"The Kenshi and Tengoku will assist the small strike force in attacking the main entrance to the village on the southern road while you, me, Sairensu and Shiruba will enter from the north end and capture the rebel leader," she said.  
"I work a lot better alone," I said.

I closed my eyes.

"I've been to this village in the past so I know it inside and out...leave the leader to me," I said.  
"What do we do then?" she asked.  
"Keep the guards away...I'm going to try and make this peaceful," I replied.

She shook her head.

"Do you have any idea how much these people hate the Du Shogunate?" she asked.  
"Slaying other people won't solve anything in a productive manner...killing innocent people or men who are just following orders will do nothing but create a body count," I replied.

She looked at me in disbelief.

"Coming from a man who has slain more people than some of us Shikaku have in our entire lifetime?" she snapped.  
"Your hands have never been stained with the blood of innocent...every last one of your clan members have only followed their orders and removed the people they had to," I growled.

I slammed my fist into the ground.

"Do you know what it's like to look an innocent person in the eye before taking their life away from them?" I snapped.

She looked at me, shock now evident in her eyes.

"We can't unite the clans across Japan by slaughtering innocent people...it will only reduce us to the murderers who rule over in Kyoto and I for one have no interest in being seen as such, I intensely doubt Shogun Du does either," I said.

I rose to my feet.

"If that's the drawn up plans, I'll get a headstart and meet you all there, use a red smoke signal to tell me when to go...once I'm inside, you'll see a green smoke signal coming from within the village to signal your clan to move in," I said.  
"Wait Takeda," she said.

I turned back to see concern in her eyes.

"Take Shiruba and Sairensu with you," she said.

I raised an eyebrow.

"Why?" I asked.  
"I believe they will both be safer with you...as I do my best work alone and I can't afford to worry about my proteges during the heat of battle," she replied.

I closed my eyes, letting out a sigh of annoyance.

"As you wish my lady," I said.  
"I would also like them to observe you; Sairensu and Shiruba are particularly impressed with the way you are able to wield a sword," she said.

I nodded slowly as I marked a location on the map.

"Have them meet me here, we will move in and follow the same plan as I said before,"

I walked away before she could utter another word.

* * *

 **Meanwhile- Shibaru's Room, Sanctuary**

"Our orders have been confirmed,"

I turned to see that Sairensu had entered the room.

"What are they?" I asked.  
"You and I are to follow the hitokiri to the rear entrance to Kanariko Village, once the strike force has engaged the majority of the rebel military, we move in and capture the leader...or kill him if necessary," she replied.

I nodded slowly and let out a sigh.

"What is Mistress Gurin doing?" I asked.  
"She said something about having to secure something within the village for the clan...I'm not entirely sure what she's referring to," replied Sairensu.

I nodded once more as I wiped my face. She must've noticed how troubled I looked and she immediately came to my side.

"Something bothers you...what's on your mind?" she asked.

I shook my head.

"Kanariko holds a lot more meaning to me...because it's my home village," I replied.  
"I thought you were born of our clan?" she asked.

I shook my head.

"My father gave me away to the Shikaku clan before Mistress Gurin became the leader...I was three years old when I was taken," I explained.  
"But why?"

I shook my head.

"He most likely saw that Kanariko was a place that was destined for war...so he probably gave me to the clan in hopes that I would help to secure it one day soon as part of the province under Shogun Du's rule," I said.

Sairensu nodded.

"Today will be the day that we truly find out if that is meant to be or not," she said.

I nodded as I put all of my gear on, ensuring that I didn't leave anything behind.

"They're counting on us to destroy the rebel morale by taking down the leader...if we fail, our own forces will likely be overwhelmed by their superior numbers," she said.  
"We're not going to fail...I just hope nothing horrible happens,"

* * *

 **Several Hours Later- Just Outside Kanariko Village**

It was so difficult to stay focused on the task at hand.

 _"So many terrible memories of this place...I hope I never have to come back here after today so I can put this all behind me,"_

"Are you alright hitokiri?"

I turned to see that Sairensu was looking at me.

"It's been a long time since I've had to do something like this so I suppose it's anxiety," I replied.

She shook her head.

"That's not the look of a man preparing himself...it's the look of pain and suffering," she replied.

I turned away, focusing instead on Shibaru who was in a tree with her eyes closed, appearing to be deep in meditation.

"Is something wrong?" asked Sairensu.

My eyes narrowed.

"Painful memories...of my past life," I replied.

 **...**

 _ **6 Years Ago- Kanariko Village**_

 _"H-H-H-How can you do this?! This is our home!"_

 _He ceased his talking after my blade met his leg._

 _"Where is your leader...I will not ask again," I snapped coldly.  
"Let him go assassin...it's me that you seek is it not?"_

 _I turned to see my target...a man who stood clad in dark brown armor._

 _"...I assume you're aware of why I have come," I said._

 _He closed his eyes._

 _"You have been gracious to me by not slaying any of the men who stood in your way and for that, all I ask in return is that you leave once your duty is complete...do not harm any more of my men," he said._

 _For some reason, I felt compelled to spare this man._

 _"Why does a rebel leader care so much about petty grunts and lowly peasants?" I asked._

 _He shook his head._

 _"Every man and woman has their place in society no matter how small a role they may appear to play...in this world where all of what we know is fast changing with the rise of the Tokugawa Dynasty, now more than ever is the time for us all to stand as one and stop the senseless bloodshed," he said._

 _My eyes narrowed._

 _"...I was told that I was killing a man who slaughtered the innocent and planned to usurp the Shogunate of Kyoto but...now I am convinced otherwise," I said._

 _I sheathed my blade._

 _"I will not kill you...consider yourself spared so long as you never show your face again," I said._

 _He did not make any move to thank me._

 _"The way of the samurai is to follow honor to the very end...that is the true meaning of the oath all of us swear before we take on this hard life,"_

 _He drew his blade._

 _"You were ordered to kill me or die trying...to not fulfill a contract as a hitokiri means certain death once you return to your superiors...for what you have done for my men in addition to realizing that we are not the enemy...it is something that I've longed for many to see,"_

 _He approached me before swinging his sword, causing me to immediately unsheathe my own and parry the blow._

 _"You will fight me to the death...as you were ordered and if I die trying, so be it," he said._

 _I closed my eyes as my other hand went to my second sword._

 _"You choose pride and honor over life as a true samurai should...you believe in your ideals and you are more than willing to die to see them through..." I said._

 _With a swift movement of my other sword, I severed a vital blood vessel in his torso. He didn't even get a chance to react to the swing as I sheathed my sword. He coughed out a tremendous amount of blood._

 _"Travel well...and know that I will do everything in my power to see this land united under a peaceful rule,"  
"Wait...before you leave..."_

 _He held up his left hand and I crouched down._

 _"...My daughter...one day I want her to have this...please...give this to her," he said.  
"How will I know who she is?"_

 _He swallowed hard._

 _"She...will have a birthmark on the lower right side of her back...and she will recognize the name...Kazuma,"_

 _This was the first time...that I believed I had slain an innocent man. That I had stained my blade with the blood of someone who simply wanted the best for his country and his people. I raised the mask back over my face as I left the house._

* * *

 **Present Time**

"The signal has been lit!" shouted Sairensu.

I broke from my thoughts as I rose to my feet. Shibaru already joined her fellow assassin.

"Let's get this done...and hopefully we will not suffer any casualties," I said.

I nodded to the two of them.

"I don't want to kill anyone that we don't have to...so let's do this quietly and quickly," I said.

Both nodded in agreement as we set our plan into motion.


	8. Horrors Return

**(A/N): Chapter 7 coming in hot. Gonna quickly release 8-10 in the next few days as I get everything down in this tremendous burst of inspiration.**

 **Thanks everyone for sticking with me and after a 5 day long vacation, I'm back and ready to do this thing.**

* * *

 **SPECIAL NOTE: In memory of my dear friend Malon, the dog who as of today would've been 18 years old if she were still here with me. I miss you girl and not a day goes by that I don't think of you. This one's for you.**

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Horrors Return**

* * *

 _ **6 Years Ago- Kanariko Village**_

 _I swiftly slashed the guard on his left leg as I eyed him coldly._

 _"Where is your leader?" I demanded._

 _He grunted and attempted to slash me again only for me to parry the blow and kick him to the ground._

 _"I have no desire to kill you nor any of your fellows...I am here for my target and for no other reason," I said.  
"Then face me...hitokiri,"_

 _I turned to see a man clad in dark brown armor._

 _"You're aware of why I was sent here," I said.  
"Kyoto saw it fit to remove me and to send one of their feared hitokiri to slay me? I'm flattered," he replied._

 _I looked at him coldly._

 _"You've committed crimes against the Shogunate and for that...you must die," I said.  
"Have we really committed crimes? Look around you swordsman...does it look like any of these people are capable of causing any sort of harm to you?" he asked._

 _I shook my head._

 _"You've made moves against Kyoto...you are a criminal as far as I'm concerned,"  
"A criminal for fighting for a better future for Japan?" he asked._

 _My eyes widened._

 _"What're you talking about?"  
"Has it ever occurred to you that the men you fight for are the evil ones?" he asked._

 _I shook my head._

 _"They've made you kill an untold number of people...sent you all over the country in order to further their own plans...does it look like the Shogunate has any intention of actually having peace across the provinces?" he asked._

 _My eyes narrowed; he was starting to make sense._

 _"You must have a personal stake in this...no man's cause is worth slaying countless others for," he deduced._

 _I shook my head._

 _"That does not concern you," I replied.  
"Is it love?"_

 _My thoughts immediately drifted back to Fumiko...the way she was taken away from me. I became a hitokiri and served the Shogunate of Kyoto faithfully in the hopes that I could one day be reunited with her...but to kill a man like the one I'm facing? It felt like an injustice._

 _I sheathed my sword._

 _"You are not a man of malice and hatred...you are one of the few who truly have an innocent belief in this and for that, consider yourself exempt," I said._

 _I turned to leave but I heard his sword unsheathe._

 _"I know the penalty for not fulfilling a contract...it means certain death," he said._

 _I turned to face him._

 _"If you ever hope to find the one you've lost...you have to continue fighting," he continued._

 _The man charged at me._

 _"If I must die this day, so be it!" he shouted._

 _I closed my eyes and immediately unsheathed my right blade to block his sword._

 _"You would choose to die for your beliefs than to live on?" I questioned.  
"Japan will never be at peace as long as Kyoto remains the dominant power...if I have to die in order to further the vision of our land one day being united in harmony and peace...I will fight to my last breath," he said._

 _My hand immediately grasped my other sword._

 _"You choose pride over your own life...you choose to fight than to run away like a coward...you are truly a good man,"_

 _I unsheathed my second sword and with a swift motion, I opened a fatal gash in his torso. He collapsed to the ground, dropping his sword as he groaned loudly._

 _"Travel well," I said as I turned to leave.  
"Wait...there is something I must ask you," he said.  
_

 _I turned to him. Seeing that his final moments were at hand, I crouched beside him._

 _"This one you've lost...who is it?" he asked.  
"My younger sister...Fumiko," I replied._

 _I told him the whole story leading up to the very moment in front of him and he nodded slowly._

 _"You're an incredible man to go so far for your sister...for that...I have one last request of you..."_

 _He reached into his armor and pulled out a necklace that was now covered in blood._

 _"This...belongs to my daughter...please...give it to her should you ever come across her in your journey," he begged._

 _I nodded and placed the necklace within my hakama._

 _"How will I recognize her?" I asked.  
"She has two birthmarks...one on the lower right side of her back and the other near her left shoulder...she will also respond to the name...Kazuma..."_

 _He ceased to draw breath as I closed his eyes. This was the day I decided that once I got the chance to stop, my days as the Hitokiri Tsuinkiba would be over._

* * *

 **Present Time- Just Outside Kanariko Village**

I jolted awake from my vision, feeling my heart race frantically.

 _"...Why am I reliving this...this is the fourth time I've felt it this week..."_

I looked around to see that Sairensu and Shibaru were still looking for the signal from the approaching army.

 _"How long was I...couldn't have been even a few seconds because they were in that exact position...I guess I really am beginning to lose my sanity..."_

"Takeda, the signal has been lit," said Sairensu.

I shook my head free of all other thoughts as I ensured my swords were together and fastened properly.

"Let's get moving then," I said.

 **...**

 **~ o ~**

 **Meanwhile- The Southern Entrance, Kanariko Village**

"Today marks the first step in our conquest to unite the province of Shijo to the rule of Shogun Masaharu Du!" I shouted.

Everyone in front of me stood at attention.

"This village has long since been the target of many greedy hands but today! Today we claim it for ourselves! Today we show these rebels and all who oppose the cause of heaven that all those who stand against us will receive no mercy!" I continued.

Everyone began to get riled up.

"We do not wish to cause bloodshed and innocents will likely be killed but I know in my heart that I believe in Japan under the rule of our Shogun will be the Japan that we've all dreamed of! It is time for us to fight for that dream!"

I drew my sword and pointed it towards the gates.

"Onward brave samurai of Tenjo!" I bellowed.

I rushed forward on my horse as all of my men followed suit. With a swift blow of my war horn, I signaled Kayla and her band of archers to strike from the forest next to the village. She had spent nearly thirty minutes lying in wait for the moment to strike and now was the time. Much to my delight, I could see arrows whistling from the trees as the guards in the watchtowers began to fall one by one.

"Care for the spears!" I roared.

My men were very swift to react and immediately sheathed their swords and drew their bows. Most of them halted their assault and raised their shortbows once they arrived within the proper range before launching a volley at the ranks of spearmen guarding the gates. I blew my war horn three times in quick succession, signaling the next phase of the plan.

On the western side of the village, Irou and Mizuho led their units forward, charging towards the now poorly reinforced western entrance to the village with their most elite warriors at their side.

 _"They've made me so proud...now it is up to the hitokiri and Gurin's assassins; it will not be long until returning scouts catch wind of the fight and bring reinforcements upon us..."_

Shaking my mind clear of all doubt, I pointed my sword towards the remaining soldiers in front of me.

"Push forward and take them down!"

 **~ o ~**

"Mistress! We've been surrounded!" screamed Rozu.

I cursed loudly under my breath.

"Everyone fall back towards Masahiro's unit! Do not engage the enemy!" I shouted.

The rebels were closing in and I did not want to lose even a single member of my clan. I began to fire arrows as quickly as my hands could load them into my bow as we retreated through the trees, trying desperately to get to higher ground and over to Masahiro's men where we could at least make a stand.

 **"IT'S THE LEADER OF THE TENGOKU! KILL HER!"**

 _"Shit...they're on to me...we need to move!"_

We finally began to create some distance between us and the oncoming soldiers who came seemingly out of nowhere. I then looked to the trap we had set should such a thing happen to us: the barrels full of oil.

"Rozu! Now!" I shouted.

My protege nodded as we both stopped and quickly broke away from the rest of the clan. Once I reached to her, we ran towards the lit torch that we hid behind one of the trees as we lit two of our arrows ablaze.

"We only get one shot at this...we must make it count!" I said.

Taking aim, Rozu and I fired at both barrels of oil. Within seconds, the barrels were lit ablaze and it wasn't long before a large inferno began to spread, creating a wall that effectively sealed off the reinforcements.

 _"They only have as long as that fire has breath...or until the rebels can get water to out it...they don't have much time..."_

I swallowed hard as I turned to Rozu.

"I want you to stay with the unit and keep Masahiro alive," I ordered.

She looked at me in disbelief.

"What are you going to do?" she asked.

I closed my eyes.

"I'm going into the village to help the wanderer and the assassins," I replied.  
"Are you insane?! You're in no condition to go in there and you're already low on arrows!" she cried.

I shook my head vigorously.

"All of them seem to be after me and I can use that to give them more time to finish the job...now go, don't question me," I ordered.

Rozu attempted to retort but I shook my head once more.

"I'll come back! Now go!" I said.

Rozu slowly turned away; clearly her decision to follow my orders had taken a tremendous amount of willpower.

"I will do as you command," she said.

She quickly made her away towards Masahiro's unit as I took a deep breath.

 _"The wanderer and Gurin's assassins should've already arrived but they're taking too long to get this done...I need to give them more time before the reinforcements come back to overwhelm them,"_

Ensuring my bow was ready and checking my quiver to ensure I had a decent number of arrows, I quickly made my way into the village.

* * *

 **Kanariko Village, Capital Building**

Sairensu and I waited patiently for Takeda to move into the room, peeking through the window to ensure that we timed it in sync with him. He was indeed correct; there were a total of ten men in the room, guarding the entrance to the main room where the leader was likely holed up.

 _"Waiting for you Takeda..."_

I suddenly heard a loud crash. I peered inside to see that Takeda had kicked the door down and had already engaged the three guards in front of it...but was doing so without drawing his sword?

 _"He's really dead set on not killing anyone..."_

Sairensu threw her knockout darts through the window as did I as we jumped in, immediately taking down two other guards with swift throws and kicks. By the time we turned to check on Takeda, he had already dispatched every other guard in the room, hitting each of them with the sheathed sword. He looked up at the two of us and nodded.

"Good work, now let's get this leader," he said.

We opened the sliding door to indeed find the leader...who was not alone. I saw Takeda just barely manage to roll out of the way of a sword slash from what I presumed to be personal bodyguards.

"Why have you come!" he shouted.

Takeda closed his eyes.

"To claim this village for the province of Tenjo," he replied.

The bodyguard attempted to slash him again but Sairensu immediately hurled a dart into his neck and kicked him away. The drug soon began to take effect and the guard slumped to the floor. The second guard attempted to strike but I swiftly dispatched him with a throw. Once he hit the ground, I rolled over to him and slammed my foot against his temple, knocking him out almost instantly.

"You've killed many of my men," said the leader.  
"Because you've in turn slaughtered many," replied Takeda.

He shook his head and raised an eyebrow.

"...You're the hitokiri who took Zakuno in aren't you?"  
"...How do you know him?" asked Takeda.

The man smiled.

"Because I'm the one who hired him for the Jikotsu job which you managed to stop by fighting him to a standstill," he replied.

My eyes widened.

"Your days of hurting innocents are over," said Sairensu.

He snickered again.

"I'd tell your friends to choose their words carefully...if you ever want to see your sister again," he said.

Takeda's eyes widened and his fists automatically clenched.

"You...you know of Fumiko?" he gasped.

The man nodded.

"I know where she is going because she left this village two days ago," he replied.

I didn't even see Takeda reach for his sword but he somehow appeared in front of the man and shoved him into the wall violently. He had his right hand at the man's neck while the other held his sword.

"Tell me where she is right now or I'll spill your intestines to the floor,"

 _"That voice...that cold voice..."_

"You're in no position to make demands swordsman; killing me will make you lose your only lead to her," said the man.

Much to my surprise, Takeda tossed the man aside before turning to him.

"Your master knows how to make a drug that will force him to tell the truth...I suggest you let her know before I eviscerate him and leave his mutilated corpse dangling outside for all to see," snapped Takeda.

The look in his eyes changed yet again and just like a flash of light, all traces of his previously kind and gentle persona was gone. Sairensu ran over to the man and stabbed him with a dart, drifting him into a deep sleep. I approached Takeda but he walked away from me.

"When everyone is finished with him, let me know," he said.

It seemed to have taken quite a bit of willpower to make him sheath his blade but he managed to calm down enough to do so.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

He began to walk away.

"To the battlefield,"

* * *

 **Meanwhile- Kanariko Village, The Streets**

 _"Rozu made it to the unit...that's good...now all I have to do is make sure that the hitokiri and the assassins have done their work,"_

I looked up to see a green smoke signal coming from the building and I smiled brightly.

 _"They did it...I knew this mission was in good hands,"_

I heard the cries of approaching men and I turned to see at least ten samurai charging at me. Knowing full well that I didn't have the strength nor the arrows to take them on, I ran as fast as my legs could carry me towards the capital building.

 _"If they're still there...they'll hopefully be able to help me...because I can't keep this up for much longer...fighting all of those men on my own really took it out of me,"_

I suddenly felt something wrap around my legs and I cursed loudly as I tumbled to the ground. Looking down at my ankles, I saw that the samurai had thrown some sort of bola at me. I knew there was no way I would be able to untie this before they were on me. I closed my eyes and prepared for death...

 **~ o ~**

I swiftly leaped from the hut and drew my sword as I dashed towards Kayla who was still down on the ground. I made it just in time to stand in front of her. I looked down at her to see that she was struggling to untie the rope around her legs.

 _"She's exhausted...she must've been fighting this entire time and considering that she's alone right now...she must've broke away from her unit in order to ensure me and the others were fine,"_

I looked to her sword and dropped my sister's sword next to her.

"Hand me your other sword," I said.

She managed to free it from her belt as I took it into my left hand.

 _"I never thought I would ever have to resort to this...but if I don't fight with my full strength now...the leader of the Tengoku will die...I'm sorry Kazuma...I truly wished to see your vision of a peaceful Japan but now I have no choice but to draw blood for the first time since I became a wanderer,"_

I slowly began to succumb to my instincts as my darker side took over. I looked at the men and all of them seemed very intimidated at the icy glare I gave all of them.

"Make one move to harm this woman and your heads will roll," I snapped.  
"...So you really have joined that fool Masaharu haven't you,"

My eyes widened upon realizing whose voice that was. A cold chill ran down my spine as the samurai broke apart to reveal a man I knew all to well.

"It's been a long time young one...I do hope you've been taking care of yourself," he said.

I stood protectively in front of Kayla.

"You need to get out of here," I ordered.  
"What? And leave you to fight all of them?" she replied.

She had freed herself from her bonds but I knew that there was no way I would be able to look out for her.

"I told you to run now shut up and get out of here," I snapped again.  
"I'm not leaving you to die wanderer," she replied.  
"Oh? You've assumed the life of a wanderer now have you?" he asked.

 _"Of all the people to appear on the battlefield...this...this isn't good,"_

"Kayla...go help Sairensu and Shibaru in the capital building," I said.  
"Why are you so afraid?!" she cried.

I clenched my fists tightly.

 **"BECAUSE THIS MAN IS MY MASTER!"**

The rebels had the only man who had ever bested me in a duel...and is the man that I feared most of any other swordsman alive.

For once in my life...I did not believe I could win a fight. All I could do was buy Kayla enough time to get to safety because with this one...there was no winning. Not alone.

"I do have a name..."

He drew his sword and swiftly threw a dagger into Kayla's shoulder. I cursed loudly as she fell to the ground.

"My name...is Yoshi Amaretsu...and both of your fates are sealed,"


	9. The Darkest Night

**(A/N): Chapter 8 coming in hot. Gonna try and get all the way to 10 until the openings in the main cast are filled up by two others. I decided to write two people out of this story because one is no longer a part of the group and the other is very difficult to write with because he shows no interest.  
**

 **Anyway, enough rambling, let's get right back to it.**

* * *

 **Chapter 8: The Darkest Night**

* * *

 **Kanariko Village, The Streets**

 _"Shit...if Kayla doesn't get medical treatment soon...she could bleed out...I have to get her out of here,"_

I barely got a chance to react as Yoshi's blade whizzed past my face. I swung my right blade but he easily caught it. He smiled at me.

"Come now...I trained you to be much better than this," he said.

I pushed him away from me.

 _"There's no way I'll be able to beat him in a straight up duel...I have to take Kayla and run or we're both going to be killed,"_

Reaching in my pocket, I turned to Kayla but much to my shock, she didn't appear to be conscious. I threw the smoke bombs that Shibaru gave to me and once I was enshrouded, I sheathed my swords and quickly picked her up into my arms. I sprinted as fast as my legs could carry me as I approached the capital building. The sound of footsteps behind me only spurred me to run faster until I finally made it. Yoshi snickered.

"Do you think you can escape from me boy?" he said.

As if in response to his words, seven arrows whizzed through the air, colliding with three of the samurai and two almost hitting him. I looked to my right to see that Keita was in a tree, his bow poised and ready to fire along with a girl I had never seen before. Yoshi smiled at me.

"I see you have friends now...I suppose this is where we'll part for now but make no mistake, you will die someday by my hand...for the weakness you've shown during your days as a wanderer," he said.

He sheathed his blade and quickly zipped off with the rest of his reinforcements. I looked down at Kayla...to see that she was no longer conscious.

 _"No...not her...of all the ones to be wounded...why did it have to be her..."_

* * *

 **Several Minutes Later- Kanariko Healer's Tent**

"I've done all I can...the rest is up to her,"

I nodded slowly as I watched the doctor leave the room. Masahiro's eyes narrowed as I placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I'll keep watch over her...right now, your men need you," I said.

He looked at me and nodded.

"Thank you Takeda...please let me know if anything develops," he said.

I nodded as Masahiro walked out of the room. I sat beside Kayla who was still not responding to anything. I gently nudged her arm but she didn't respond.

 _"This...this is my fault...why wasn't I more aware? Why didn't I force her to leave me? She didn't have to end up this way...and now the leader of the Tengoku Clan could very well...no, I can't have that kind of thought; if we lose her it will be a major blow to morale even though it's only been a single day..."_

I clenched my fist.

 _"Why did I join this cause...I knew that death would be an inevitable result of all of this fighting but for this...for the leader of a clan to be this heavily injured?...it's affecting me a lot more than I thought it would..."_

I heard her breathe in as I looked to see her eyes weakly opened.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

She shook her head weakly.

"I don't have much time...I can feel the poison shutting down everything in me..." she whispered.

I gasped loudly and tried to get the doctor back into the room but her hand shot out and grabbed mine.

"There's nothing she can do for me...she doesn't have enough time to apply an antivenom when the poison has spread this much...I only have minutes so I need you to listen to what I have to say," she said.

I reluctantly pulled away from the exit and sat with her.

"Your master...he's the man who killed my father...the leader of the Tengoku before me..." she said.

My eyes widened.

"You...you have to stay with my clan...protect them...you're the only one who knows what that man is capable of...without you...they're doomed," she said.

I shook my head.

"I wasn't even able to protect you my lady...now because of me...your end is near," I said.

She shook her head.

"I am the one who foolishly didn't believe in you and the assassins...I was the one who went into the village when I should've went and regrouped with Masahiro...it's not your fault," she said.

She coughed softly as I felt my heart sink.

"What I really needed to tell you...is that my scouts have caught wind of the whereabouts of your sister," she said.

I gasped.

"Just before we rode for the battle, Keita told me that someone matching the drawing you gave Gurin and Palika to use as a reference was spotted in the Shijo Province...in Rangeku Town," she said.

I nodded slowly.

"Your sister means everything to you...and I know the struggle you face with those two swords every time you draw a blade to fight," she said.

I shook my head but she smiled at me.

"You believe that drawing those two swords will cause you to go back to the hitokiri you once were...don't you?" she asked.

I turned away.

"My hands have been stained with enough blood as it is...I don't want to slay another person unless I have absolutely no alternative," I replied.  
"You need to understand Takeda...Japan is in its greatest state of turmoil in history and we need warriors like you to not only fight for us but also to set an example for others to follow...you're one of the greatest swordsmen in this land and you played a pivotal role in shaping how society is to this very minute," she continued.

She coughed again and raised a hand immediately when she noticed me get to up examine her.

"Shogun Du needs your blade Takeda...every last person needs your guidance because you know our enemy better than anyone else on our side right now...they need you...please...help them..." she begged.

I saw tears stream down her eyes as I struggled to keep my emotions behind my blank face.

"...I will do everything I can," I said.

She smiled and closed her eyes.

"Rozu is going to need your wisdom to lead the clan...protect her and keep her safe...she's the daughter I never had," she said.

I nodded firmly.

"You have my word my lady," I said.

She nodded slowly as she reached into her bag beside her and pulled out a scroll.

"These are the directions to Rangeku Town...rescue your sister so you can devote yourself to the cause...because now more than ever...we ne...nee-"

She ceased all movement...and passed away peacefully.

 _"Hope...what we need now more than ever is hope...thank you for helping me find my sister Mistress Tran...I will protect your apprentice and do everything in my power to ensure Shogun Du becomes the ruler of these provinces with no competition,"_

I left the room...knowing full well how painful it would be for her clan to find out that she was no more.

* * *

 **Later That Night- Sanctuary's Courtyard**

"Rozu?"

I looked up to see Keita and a woman I had never seen before with him. He approached me and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Are you alright?' he asked.

I shook my head, wiping the tears from my cheeks.

"I...I can't believe she's gone..." I said.  
"Takeda did everything he could for her...but no one knew that dagger was poisoned until it was too late," said Keita.

I nodded slowly.

"With her gone...I have to be the one to lead the clan now," I said.  
"You won't do so alone...you have friends and allies Rozu and you also have the support of the Shogun himself," said Keita.

His companion nodded.

"The Kenshi and Tengoku have always been allies and we stand ready to assist in whatever way you need us to," she said.

Keita smiled at her.

"You've really got a heart of gold Hikari," he said.

The woman I now knew as Hikari smiled.

"If you need someone to talk to, you can always come to me...I'm here for you," she said.

I nodded slowly as they left me alone. A few minutes passed until I heard more footsteps.

"Do you have a moment?"

I turned to see Takeda standing in front of me.

"Of course," I replied.

He sat next to me.

"Your master asked me to stay with the Tengoku...and in her dying breaths, she told me how important you are to her," he began.

I felt my heart attempt to burst through my chest as I struggled to hold back all of the emotions that were running through me.

"She also asked me to keep watch over you so consider me your new bodyguard," he said.

I shook my head.

"I don't need someone to look out for me...I'm fine on my own," I snapped.

I tried to leave but his hand immediately shot out and grabbed mine.

"Is that how you're going to honor your master's death? With worthless arrogance?" he growled.

I swung my hand at his face but he effortlessly caught the blow.

"You're in tremendous pain right now and you're pushing me away only because you hate to show weakness...the Tengoku way is to never let emotions cloud your judgement but even with this mandate, you lost the one who you've known for most of your life...it's fine to feel sad about it Rozu," he said.

I had no idea how his words were getting through to me and for some reason, they seemed to calm my anger.

"I've seen many people die...and I've killed more people than you can imagine but if there's a feeling I know all too well, it's the pain of loss Rozu...you don't have to suffer alone," he said.

His soothing words defused my anger...and I fell to my knees and let out a cry. He was at my side and gently hugged me as I sobbed loudly into his chest.

"Let it out...you don't have to suffer in silence...you have friends who care about you...and I'm going to honor your master's dying wish to keep you safe so you can count on me to be there for you...alright?"

I nodded through my sobs as he continued to hold me, stroking my back gently as he tried his best to soothe the pain.

* * *

 **Meanwhile- The War Room**

"Our plans have taken quite a blow with Kayla's passing...so now we must adjust," said Palika.

Masaharu approached the table.

"With Mistress Tran gone, the Tengoku are not in a good position to assist in the war effort so we cannot rely on them to retake the outpost," he said.

Masahiro approached the table as well.

"Takeda will be leaving to get his sister from Rangeku Town to the east so we will not have him for that operation either unless we're willing to wait for his return," said Gurin.

Masaharu nodded firmly.

"Now more than ever, we need him with us if we hope to keep our warriors in good spirits so we will await his arrival," he said.

Gurin turned to Shibaru, who was still staring out the window.

"You're going with him," she ordered.

Shibaru looked at her questioningly but she shook her head.

"Follow him and watch over him to ensure he isn't walking into a trap," she explained.

Shibaru's eyes narrowed.

"What if he declines?" she asked.  
"He won't...trust me," replied Gurin.

Shibaru bowed reluctantly to her master as she turned to Masaharu.

"I'll inform him right now," she said.

The doors suddenly opened as Keita and Hikari walked inside.

"It's good to see you again Hikari," said Masahiro.  
"Master Ma...you're still in great health I see," she said.

She approached him and hugged him.

"I'm truly sorry you had to return from your visit to your family for this but I needed everyone I could get my hands on," he said.

Hikari shook her head.

"You know I will do anything for my clan...besides that, my uncle and aunt decided to migrate back to Tokyo," she said.

Masahiro nodded slowly.

"They're well I hope?" he asked.  
"They're doing just fine...I can focus on helping with things here without worry," she said.

He smiled at her.

"Good because I need you to go with Shibaru and the hitokiri to Rangeku Town," he ordered.

Hikari looked at him in confusion.

"Why me if I may ask my lord? Wouldn't Irou or Mizuho be better suited to the task?" she asked.

Masahiro shook his head.

"You have a gift with soothing pain Hikari...and something tells me that the hitokiri will need your kindness in order to face what is to come," he said.

Hikari bowed obediently.

"If you think it best my lord," she said.

She turned to Shibaru as they left the room.

"Our plans to advance on the outpost will be postponed until they return," said Masaharu.  
"What about the Tengoku?" asked Gurin.

Masaharu nodded slowly as he turned to Keita.

"Escort Rozu back home Keita; she needs to recover from her loss before she is ready to fight any battle that lies ahead," he said.

Keita nodded.

"I will station some of my men to guard your village; I guarantee that Kayla's death will spread to the rebels and they will take the opportunity to strike at your clan when they are now vulnerable," he said.  
"Thank you my lord...I will leave with her first thing in the morning," replied Keita.

With a final nod, Keita left the room as all attention turned to Yuki, who had been waiting to speak for a short while.

"Higana and I did a lot of reading and reviewing and we've identified two prime targets that we could attempt to assault once we retake the outpost," she said.  
"What are they?" asked Masaharu.

Yuki pointed to an X on the map.

"This village hovers just outside a river and has at least seven rice paddies that we could use to our advantage so if we were to capture it, it would lessen the strain on the Rodosha which would allow us to devote more resources into bolstering our troops with equipment," she said.

Masaharu nodded slowly.

"And the second target?"

She pointed to another X.

"This is the location that Gurin's scouts have identified as one of the rebel's main bases...capturing that would deal a near fatal blow to their morale in addition to securing us a very easy to defend location that has a huge armory at its disposal," she continued.

Everyone nodded.

"We'll give this more thought once everyone returns from Rangeku Town...for now, let's keep things quiet," said Masahiro.

Masaharu nodded slowly.

"We'll continue this discussion in the morning...so rest up everyone," he said.

* * *

 **Late That Night- Just Outside Of Sanctuary**

I watched as he tossed an turned in his sleep until he finally stirred awake.

"You've been having a lot of nightmares," I said.

Takeda looked at me and turned away.

"Why are you watching me?" he asked.  
"Because I know you're suffering...the bags beneath your eyes are only more of an indication," I continued.

He sighed softly.

"I suppose seeing my master again...really had a lasting impression," he said.

I sat beside him.

"Can I ask you something Takeda?" I began.

He nodded.

"Why did you spare the leader? Even though he knew everything about your sister?" I asked.  
"Because I swore to myself that I would never murder in cold blood again," he replied.  
"Then...why do you get so cold?" I asked.

He shook his head.

"...I have a darker side that I try to keep in check...one of the reasons I was so good at being a hitokiri was because I have the ability to turn off my emotions in battle...it made me the perfect killer who attacks relentless until the opponent is dead," he replied.  
"And this dark side of yours...is it tied to wielding two swords?" I asked.  
"Yoshi didn't just teach me how to use a sword...he tortured me in how to use a sword...he beat, sliced, punched...you name it and he did it all in an effort to make me a ruthless killer so...I guess I ended up developing a second personality in order to cope with his training methods," he explained.

I nodded slowly.

"You...you're a different person when you're angry," I said.

He nodded slowly and narrowed his eyes.

"I'm sorry if I've scared you with it...but when I can't get through something peacefully and I know I can't win...I let that side of me takeover because it makes me stronger...but at the cost of my humanity," he said.

He picked up his sword and unsheathed it half way.

"I fear the day I have to slay a man again...because I don't know if that side of me will takeover...and this side of me never comes back," he said.

He replaced the blade and put it beside him.

"You're not a horrible person Takeda," I said.

He dismissed my comment with a shake of his head.

"After all of the blood I've spilled...I'm anything but a good person Shibaru," he said.

I put a hand on his.

"A horrible person would never have tried to fight his own master to protect someone he barely knows...nor would he have saved my life twice despite not knowing me personally," I said.

He looked at me, genuinely surprised at my words.

"I know you prefer to loner lifestyle and I'd never tell you to step out of the limits you've drawn for yourself...but know that I'm here for you," I said.

I had no idea why my cheeks heated up once I saw his smile.

"I appreciate that...thank you," he said.

I rose to my feet.

"I think it would be a better idea if you slept inside...where there are sleeping quarters laid out for you instead of staying out here," I said.  
"They didn't bring the bedding in...but I'll bear that in mind," he said.

With a final nod, I turned to leave but he caught my hand.

"I wanted to ask you something...why did you agree to help me find my sister in Rangeku Town?" he asked.

I shook my head.

"Because I see what she means to you...and I know what it's like to lose family," I replied.

I moved my hair from out of my face.

"My father...he died at some point after he gave me to the Shikaku Clan," I said.

 **~ o ~**

 _"No...please no..."_

Much to my horror...I noticed a birthmark on the left side of her back when her kimono drifted down slightly. I swallowed some air.

"How...did he die?" I asked.  
"One of the villagers told me that he was slain...no doubt by one of those rebels who occupied the village beforehand," she said.

I felt the necklace in my hakama as I swallowed hard.

"...Does the name Kazuma mean anything to you?" I asked.

She turned to me with hope on her face.

"You've heard of my father? Do you know who killed him?" she asked.

I closed my eyes.

"No...I simply heard from the villagers about the previous leader," I replied.

She nodded slowly.

"I hope I can find that person one day...so he can face justice," she said.

It took everything within me to keep my face sympathetic.

"I'll see you in the morning," I said.

With one more nod, Shibaru went to her room.

 _"...If I tell her now...she'll hate me...I can't ever tell her that I'm the one who killed him...she would never forgive me and things will be in even greater shambles...I hate having to lie to her but this is for her own good...one day maybe I'll tell her but until that day...she doesn't need to know,"_


	10. Reunion

**(A/N): Chapter 9 coming in hot!  
**

 **10 should follow a bit after because I'm just on an absolute roll here. Until I get the last two spots in the main cast filled up, I'll be holding out on this and trying another project that I've always wanted to try with a story like this (huge main cast, tons of shipping potential and the like). It's been a while since I've done some one shots or romance focused stories altogether so I might do something a bit similar to The Remix Series that I did for To-Love RU. Not sure how it's gonna work yet but ideas are in the works which means loads of entertainment for you guys!**

 **Anyways, enough rambling out of me, let's hop back to it!**

* * *

 **Chapter 9: Reunion**

* * *

 _ **16 Years Ago- Nakematsu Village, The Province Of Tosando**_

 _"Big brother?"_

 _I turned to Fumiko as she hugged my arm._

 _"Are we going hunting today?" she asked._

 _I smiled at her and patted her on the head._

 _"When father finishes fixing my bow, we'll go together," I replied._

 _She smiled brightly at me as I knelt down._

 _"Why does father make you train with that big sword?" she asked.  
"He wants me to become a warrior to protect the village," I replied._

 _She nodded slowly._

 _"Is that why you're not home during the day anymore?" she asked._

 _I nodded slowly._

 _"He really wants me to improve so I have to train," I replied.  
"...We don't get to spend anytime together anymore," she sighed._

 _I shook my head and held her hands._

 _"If I don't train, I won't be able to help defend the village and...I won't be able to protect you and mom," I said._

 _Her eyes narrowed but I put my hand under her chin to make her face me._

 _"Once my training is complete, we'll be able to do everything we used to before...I promise," I said._

 _She held out her pinky finger._

 _"Promise me?" she asked._

 _I smiled at her and entwined my pinky finger with hers._

 _"I promise," I replied._

 _She hugged me again._

 _"I love you big brother," she whispered.  
"I love you too Fumiko...and no matter what, your big brother will always be there to protect you,"_

* * *

 **Present Time- Rangeku Road**

I looked back to see that Takeda still seemed very zoned out, as if he were consumed by his thoughts.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

He looked at me and nodded slowly.

"Memories of the past," he replied.  
"Your sister?" I asked.

He nodded again.

"You'll see her soon," I reassured.

He didn't seem very convinced as he shook his head.

"I haven't seen her in person since the day I was taken from my village...I've only heard about her," he explained.

I slowed down my horse to get right beside him.

"It'll be alright...you'll see," I said.

He shook his head again, his eyes now narrowing to reflect his pessimism.

"I don't think she'll be happy to know that her brother was an assassin that's killed nearly 200 people or the fact that he is one of the most feared swordsmen in all of Japan..." he said.

I put a hand on his shoulder.

"She's your sister Takeda...she's all you have left and you can't blame yourself for the cards you were dealt...you did what you had to do to save yourself and more importantly, to save her," I said.

He looked at me with a blank face.

"The fact that you were willing to serve the very people who killed your parents in order to keep her alive doesn't make you a horrible person...it makes you a good man," I said.

He smiled slightly.

"I appreciate that, thank you," he said.

I smiled at him again as he looked towards the road.

"Maybe after we retake the outpost...we can sit down to some tea?" he asked.

I had no idea why my cheeks grew so warm but I laughed softly.

"That...sounds really nice; I'd like that," I replied.

He grinned as he rode on ahead of me. I could only imagine the looks on Sairensu's face right now...and all the teasing I was going to get once we got back to Sanctuary.

* * *

 **Two Hours Later- Rangeku Town**

"The lead points to an inn...a man named Taku Nishihama owns it and according to the information Kayla got for us, he's the one who's supposed to have ownership of your sister," said Sairensu.

Takeda nodded slowly.

"It wouldn't be a good idea for me to enter there because everyone can recognize my scar and swords...so I'm going to leave it to you two," he said/

Shibaru looked at him in astonishment.

"You're not going to help us?" she asked.  
"If I go in there looking for someone named Fumiko and they see my scar, they're going to raise a panic and things will spiral out of control..." he explained.

Sairensu snickered as she reached into her bag and pulled out a cloak and mask.

"Put these on to hide your scars," she said.

Takeda raised an eyebrow.

"You carry around a disguise as an everyday item?" he asked.  
"I'm always prepared for everything...now put it on and let's go get your sister," she said.

He nodded as he donned the cloak and pulled the mask over the lower half of his mouth.

"We'll go in first so we don't arouse suspicion and since we aren't wearing our uniforms, no one should be able to tell that we're from the Shikaku clan," said Sairensu.

Takeda looked at Shibaru, who had pinned her silver hair into a neat bun that she covered with a hat in order to stay inconspicuous. It was very different to see her not in her kunoichi's uniform as well as Sairensu herself.

"What are you going to say to the innkeeper?" asked Takeda.  
"We brought a bag of coin with us so we're going to pretend to buy your sister from him and once we get our hands on her, we'll get her out of town," replied Sairensu.  
"If things go south...we won't kill anyone," said Shibaru.

Takeda nodded slowly.

"This town is a peaceful one...I came here about six years ago to stay for a night until I moved on elsewhere," he said.  
"All the more reason to do this quickly and cause no harm," said Shibaru.  
"What about me?" asked Hikari.

Shibaru beckoned her to come with them.

"You're our bodyguards," she said.

Takeda snickered softly.

"I don't know if they will take Hikari seriously; she looks like such a nice person," he said.  
"I don't think nice people carry around a katana and wear light armor..." snickered Sairensu.

Takeda shrugged and nodded.

"I suppose you're right...let's get this done,"

 **...**

"Ladies! How may I be of assistance this fine afternoon?"

Shibaru smiled at him.

"I was told to look for _a cherry blossom in the wind_...and you're the man to _point me in the wind's direction_ ," she said.

The man eyed Shibaru for a moment as he turned to Sairensu.

"And this young lady is your friend?" he asked.  
"She's the buyer, I am her secretary," replied Shibaru.

The man then looked towards Takeda and Hikari.

"And they are?" he asked.  
"My bodyguards," replied Sairensu.

Sairensu flashed the bag of coin to the man as he smiled.

"Well it would be my pleasure to show you where _the wind converges,_ " said the innkeeper.

He beckoned them to follow him as he lead the way upstairs. Shibaru looked to Takeda.

"Whatever you see...don't let it get to you...we can't blow our cover until your sister is safe," she whispered.

Takeda nodded.

"I'll do my best," he said.

After several minutes of walking, they arrived at a door.

"If there are anymore... _blossoms_ that you need, feel free to let me know," said the innkeeper.

He opened the door and much to everyone's horror, the room was filled with cages and cells. Within each cell was a woman...in a very dilapidated state. The group watched in horror as they saw the women, each appearing to have some kind of drug addiction with their pale skin, highly dilated eyes and weakened postures.

 **~ o ~**

I could only imagine the worry going through Takeda's head as he walked by each of the women.

 _"I can't believe that they're doing this...slave trading in such a peaceful town?...it's the perfect front but at the same time...I can't believe this is happening,"_

I pulled back slightly and held his hand. I was right; he was barely able to keep himself calm.

"Calm down...we can't blow our cover..." I whispered.

He breathed heavily as he closed his eyes.

"At some point...we're coming back to free these women...we're telling Lord Du about this," he said.

I nodded in agreement.

"We can't do anything about this until your sister's alright...so just stay quiet ok?" I asked.

He nodded slowly though I could see the malice in his eyes.

"So which one can I interest you in?" asked the innkeeper.  
"I'd rather speak to the boss," replied Sairensu.

The man smiled and nodded.

"Wait right here, I will get him and return," he said.

He left the room, shutting the door behind him as we immediately broke out into a search.

"Start looking for her," said Sairensu.  
"Dawn?"

I turned to see that Takeda had already approached a cage and was looking at a woman who seemed to be unconscious.

"You know her?" I asked approaching him.

"I grew up with her back in my village...she was my best friend back then," he said.  
"How do you know it's her? You haven't seen her in so long," I replied.

He shook his head.

"I'd never forget her face...and she's still wearing it..."

He pointed at a small ring on her left ring finger.

"I made that for her in a crafting class my uncle taught back home...she didn't lose it after all this time,"

 _"Sunrise? I guess he really was a completely different person in his youth,"_

He looked at Sairensu.

"Can we take her with us as well?" he asked.

Sairensu nodded as Hikari called all of us.

"I found her!" she said.

The three of us ran to a cage as Takeda collapsed to his knees.

"F...F...Fumiko?"

Compared to the sketch he had of her, which was when she was 13 years old, she had grown tremendously in all of the time. She was now just as tall as he was, if not slightly taller. Her long black hair had grown even longer and she had clearly been put through some harsh work as her body was decently toned. I could tell it was here due to the two of them having very similar eye shapes in addition to facial structure.

"She's not conscious...and look at her right arm," said Hikari.

I noticed small puncture wounds.

"They were dosing her with drugs...I can't imagine what kind of addictions she's feeling right now.

Takeda didn't even seem to realize Hikari's words as he continued to stare at his little sister, his eyes now pouring with tears and his fists clenched tightly.

"I'm...going to make all of them suffer for this..." he growled.

I reprimanded him with a hand.

"If you lose it now, we'll never get her out of here...stick to the plan," I said.

He closed his eyes and rose to his feet, looking into my eyes. I saw absolutely no pretense of the emotional man that was on his knees moments ago but instead, I was sure I was looking at a murderer.

 _"Oh no...he's fallen into his anger again...if I don't get him out of here...he's going to blow our cover,"_

I looked to Hikari.

"Take him outside and don't let him in here, make sure he calms down...use one of these if you have to," I said.

I handed Hikari a dart as she nodded. She took Takeda by the hand but he didn't move an inch. His eyes were still fixated on Fumiko. I saw him reach for his sword and I immediately grabbed his hand.

"Takeda...don't...if you do this now, all of these women will be in danger..." I said.  
"I'm not interested in their fates...only in my sister's," he replied.

His voice was a whole new level of icy as I heard footsteps. I clenched my fists as I let out a breath.

"Alright, when he comes into the room, we'll take him down," I said.

Takeda turned away from me and I took my chance. I swung my hand into his temple and connected perfectly, knocking him out cold as he fell onto Hikari.

"Do what I said before...when he wakes up, he shouldn't be so angry," I said.  
"Why did you do that Shibaru?" she asked.

I shook my head.

"If I didn't do that...every single man in this inn would be dead and we'd never save all of these slaves...now go," I ordered.

Hikari nodded and took Takeda on her shoulder to the outside as I turned to Sairensu.

"Let's get them out of here,"

* * *

 **Forty Minutes Later- Just Outside Rangeku Town**

I watched as Takeda finally stirred from his sleep.

"What happened...and why does my head hurt so much?" he asked.  
"Shibaru had to knock you unconscious...you were reverting to your other self," I replied.

His eyes narrowed as he let out a deep sigh.

"I didn't mean for that to happen...if I said anything horrible, I'm truly sorry," he said.  
"You don't remember any of it?" I asked.

He shook his head.

"The last thing I remember is seeing Fumiko...then nothing," he replied.

 _"He really must have two completely different personalities...that or amnesia,"_

I knelt down beside him.

"You must've fallen into your other side when you saw her in the state she was in...are you alright?" I asked.

He shook his head.

"That was the first time I've seen her in person since we were children...her and Dawn," he replied.  
"Dawn?" I asked.  
"She and I were neighbors back home...the three of us were inseparable until that night when I was taken to become an assassin...I thought Dawn had perished along with many of the others but I guess the samurai found other uses for her," he said.

I nodded slowly.

"We'll get them out of there but right now, we have a mission to accomplish," I said.

He nodded slowly.

"Where are Shibaru and Sairensu?" he asked.  
"They're getting herbs for the journey back because Fumiko and Dawn are not in good condition...especially Fumiko," I replied.  
"Where are they?" he asked in shock.

I raised a hand to calm him down.

"Already heading towards Sanctuary; Sairensu planned ahead and had a few of her clan hide out in the town to escort them back so they should be almost back by now," I replied.

Takeda sighed softly in relief.

"They're picking up herbs because we don't have them back at Sanctuary?" he asked.

I nodded.

"I took stock...both of them have a lot of bruises on their bodies and the drugs need to be cleansed from their systems so everything's going to be taken care of...I made sure of it," I said.

He smiled at me and bowed respectfully.

"I'm sorry I was so immature before...about the men not being able to take a face like yours seriously," he said.

I shook my head.

"I get that kind of thing all the time...I'm a lot tougher than I look," I said.  
"Even though you truly do have a heart of gold,"

I had no idea why I started to blush at his compliment but I smiled and bowed.

"You have such kind words...thank you," I said.  
"So are you going to tell me the real reason why you came to Sanctuary?" asked Takeda.

I raised an eyebrow and he shook his head smiling.

"I saw the way you were looking at Lord Du," he said.  
"What do you mean?" I asked.  
"Those weren't the eyes of a soldier...those were the eyes of a lover," he replied.

I shook my head.

"We had something in the past...I guess I came mainly because I respect his ideals and truly believe that he can lead the province to prosperity," I replied.

Takeda nodded slowly.

"His wife was killed...I tried to save her because she was caught in the crossfire a few years ago because I happened to be there but I was unable to save her," he explained.  
"I know...he told me all about you," I replied.

Takeda raised an eyebrow.

"He mentioned how he had never heard of a hitokiri with such a powerful conscience; normally, a man trained to do things like that loses his humanity and his ability to care...but you made it your strength instead and that is something that I respect deeply about you," I said.

He smiled at me and bowed humbly.

"I'm sorry I doubted you before Hikari; consider me no longer skeptical," he said with a smile.

I looked at his sword and smiled.

"Maybe one day we could have a session?" I asked.  
"I'd enjoy that...but I hope you know what you're getting into," he teased.

I laughed softly.

"I'm a better sword fighter than Master Ma...but he is a great deal wiser than I am so that is why he is the leader of our clan," I explained.  
"Impressive; Master Ma is one of the most acclaimed swordsmen in the clan's history and yet you're better than him? Was he the one that taught you?" he asked.  
"Indeed...but I learned much from my father and my friends back in my home village until it was burned down...by one of the hitokiri you used to work with," I said.

Takeda shook his head.

"Zakuno has been sentenced to death and the other two are no longer a threat...and I hold no attachment to my title anymore so consider them avenged," he said.

I suddenly heard the sound of horses approaching and I turned to see Shibaru and Sairensu coming towards us.

"We have everything we need and I made sure to send a messenger to Lord Du about the town...he'll most likely take the town while we're busy with the outpost," said Sairensu.

Shibaru looked at Takeda with regret in her eyes as she got off her horse and approached him.

"I'm...really sorry for doing that to you," she said.

Much to my astonishment, Takeda closed the distance between the two of them and captured her in a deep hug.

"You saved the lives of all those women...and stopped me from breaking my vow to never kill in cold blood again...I'm the one who should apologize," he said.

I smiled at them as Shibaru very slowly returned the gesture.

 _"I can see what Keita was saying about these two...they really look like a couple when they aren't fighting,"_

Takeda released her as he turned to his horse.

"Let's get going," he said.  
"Wait...there's something else Takeda," said Sairensu.

He turned back to face her as she held up a large sketch.

"It's your master...Yoshi has become a general of Kyoto's forces and he's put a bounty on your head," she said.

Takeda's eyes narrowed.

"It's even more of a reason for Shogun Du to gain power...so this madness can stop,"

He mounted his horse.

"Let's get back to the others,"

* * *

 **Several Hours Later- Kyoto's Capital Building**

"Master Yoshi! News of your protege has arrived!"

Yoshi turned to see one of his soldiers knelt down before him.

"Speak," he said.  
"Takeda Yuen was spotted near Rangeku Town this afternoon my lord," said the soldier.

Yoshi smiled.

"He must've finally found his sister...that's good, that means he won't be distracted the next time we fight each other," said Yoshi.

The soldier stood at attention.

"Are General Nagato's forces assembled for the raid?" asked Yoshi.  
"Nearly my lord, he has informed us it will be three days until the force is ready to march," replied the soldier.

Yoshi smiled.

"Excellent news...you may go," he said.

The soldier bowed obediently as he took his leave.

"So I'm assuming you want us to ensure that they lose more of their members,"

A man stepped out of the shadows.

"I killed the leader of the Tengoku Clan so morale is already very shattered...removing Master Ma as well as Mistress Yuki should prove to be all we need to take control of the province," said Yoshi.

Another man stepped out of the shadows with an evil smile.

"It's good to see you again Master Yoshi," said the man.

Yoshi smiled evilly.

"Good to see you've made a full recovery...Zakuno,"


	11. Sparks

**(A/N): Chapter 10 coming in hot. Now, I wait for the two remaining spots to be filled in.  
**

 **Till those are filled, I hope you guys enjoyed this so far.**

* * *

 **SPECIAL NOTE: Special thanks to my friends Flora and Doan for being such good sports. Glad to have you here as part of the cast you two!**

* * *

 **Chapter 10: Sparks**

* * *

 **The Following Night- Sairensu's Sleeping Quarters**

"I tell myself that I shouldn't allow myself to care so much...but I can't help it when it comes to him," I explained.

Gurin smiled at me and lay a hand on my shoulder.

"I imagine it must've been difficult to see that he came back in such a state from helping the Tengoku fight off that raid," she said.

I sighed softly.

"Despite being the youngest of Master Ma's proteges, he doesn't back down from an opportunity to do good..." I said shaking my head.  
"Sounds a lot like you when you first joined the clan Sairensu," said Gurin.

I laughed softly.

"I guess it doesn't kind of remind me of myself a little...but I'm not supposed to be feeling something like this for a man I met barely two weeks ago," I replied.  
"Feelings are very powerful...and just like any ninja, they strike without warning," said Gurin.

I lowered my head.

"Is that the reason you look at Irou with such eyes?" I asked.

Gurin smiled at me.

"I can't help what I happen to admire in a man...he does have a certain kind of grace when he wields a sword, unlike anyone else I've seen," she replied.

I shook my head.

"You're a terrible mother figure," I said.

She laughed loudly.

"I'm merely letting you know that you are a human first and an assassin after Sairensu...nothing more nothing less," she said.

I looked out the window, sighing at actually entertaining her idea.

"Isn't it forbidden for Shikau kunoichi to have romantic relations?" I asked.

Gurin shrugged her shoulders.

"To evolve as a clan, we need to have some kind of leniency and just as Shibaru before you, I say the same thing," she said as she rose to her feet.

She approached the door and turned back.

"No one's telling anyone anything," she said with a wink.

* * *

 **Sanctuary- The War Room**

"How are defenses for the Tengoku?" asked Masaharu.  
"After that raid on the outer skirts of the village, things aren't looking very good from a practical perspective my lord," said Keita.  
"Morale is still low from Kayla's passing I assume..." said Masahiro.

Keita nodded.

"Then we have no choice but to dedicate some of our forces to defending the village; we cannot allow the Tengoku to fall," said Masaharu.

Keita nodded.

"We have sent for two of the best trained archers from a clan with old ties...one of them is an excellent and experienced leader who could likely help Rozu get up to speed on everything," replied Keita.  
"How long will it be before they arrive?" asked Yuki.  
"About three days; they ride from the north coast of Japan," said Keita.

Yuki nodded slowly.

"At this point, I think it would be wise to send the hitokiri there," said Keita.  
"For what reason?" asked Higana.

Keita sighed deeply.

"The military lacks experienced leaders and I doubt that any one of us have had as much experience in battle as him so I think it would be a wise idea to have him stay with the clan whenever he is not needed here," said Keita.  
"Is he that well known there?" asked Yuki.

Keita nodded firmly.

"The mere mention of the fact that he is an ally of ours inspires everyone because they know what he is capable of," he replied.  
"We'll have to see how things play out; Takeda will be vital in retaking the outpost once his sister recovers so he will have nothing to hinder his mind in battle," said Masaharu.

He turned to Higana.

"Is there any sort of way you can predict when they will be in a stable condition where they can be left alone?" asked Masaharu.  
"I've projected about a week before they can be left alone my lord...but they can improve at any point in between," she replied.

He nodded slowly.

"I will station three of my lieutenants along with their units within the village in order to defend it; we cannot afford to wait a week before strike the outpost because by then, it will be too heavily reinforced," said Masaharu.  
"What about everyone here my lord?" asked Yuki.

He put a hand to his chin as he eyed the map laid out on the table.

"A sabotage mission may be more ideal for this situation; we will not have to expend a lot of resources in order to pull it off but we will have to risk sending Takeda, Shibaru, Gurin as well as Irou and Mizuho in order to have a good chance at success," he said.  
"What are you suggesting?" asked Higana.

He pointed to the large red X on the map.

"The outpost has three entrances due to it acting as a security checkpoint for caravans to enter the province so it will be vulnerable at two points at any given time...Gurin and Shibaru are by far the best at getting into a location undetected so they can make their way into the security building which is filled to the brim with explosive powder," he explained.  
"You mean the same material they use to make those bombs?" asked Keita.

Masaharu nodded.

"If they can get inside, they may be able to create a diversion to draw most of the soldiers there where Irou and Mizuho can engage them along with their units; they can sneak in largely undetected by simply wearing disguises and having their men come in at separate intervals until they are all gathered," he explained.  
"Where does Takeda come in this?" asked Gurin.

He pointed to the main administrative building.

"That building will very likely have the leader of that group of rebels holed up in it and if there's one thing Takeda knows how to do, it's get into buildings and remove a vital target," he replied.

Gurin nodded slowly.

"For insurance, carry some smoke bombs and use the forge to send a green smoke signal; I will have some of my men within sight of it to assist should the need arise," said Masaharu.  
"Hikari should go with them as well; she's the best fighter of all of us," said Masahiro.

Gurin nodded slowly.

"We'll have to explain it all...but at this point, I do not know if Takeda is in a good state to do this," she said.  
"Why's that?" asked Masaharu.

Gurin's eyes narrowed.

"An accident happened today at training..."

* * *

 _ **Earlier That Day- The Training Area**_

 _"I'd love to see all of you spar," said Keita._

 _I watched as Irou and Mizuho went to the middle of the training ground, wooden swords in hand. I then looked to Takeda, who was deep in meditation as well as Hikari was in front of him doing the same thing._

 _"You two up for it?" I asked._

 _Takeda soon broke from his meditation and shrugged as he rose to his feet._

 _"Hikari?" he asked._

 _She rose to her feet and smiled._

 _"Sure," she replied._

 _I took a seat along with Keita as all four of them gathered in the center of as the Irou and Mizuho got their katanas, discarding their wooden swords. Each of them stood twenty feet away from each other, Irou standing in front of Takeda and Hikari in front of Mizuho. All of them of them fastened their swords to their waist as they eyed each other._

 _"Do they study the same style?" I asked.  
"Mizuho's a practitioner of Tatsumi-Ryu while Irou studies mainly Mugai-Ryu...but he unlike everyone else in his clan took the time to master three different styles which makes him an incredibly versatile fighter," replied Keita.  
"What's the difference between Tatsumi-Ryu and Mugai-Ryu?"  
"Mugai-Ryu is a style that's much more focused on power and use of battojutsu techniques, which are techniques that accelerate the blade speed by pulling it from the sheath," he explained._

 _He then looked to Mizuho._

 _"Because she doesn't doesn't have the muscle nor the size for Mugai-Ryu, she learned Tatsumi-Ryu which is all about swift strikes and speed...though it also incorporates battojutsu techniques," said Dawn._

 _I looked at him, astonished at his knowledge of swordsmanship before he shrugged._

 _"I read a lot," he said with a wink.  
"But isn't it dangerous for the two of them to use real swords?" I asked.  
"They know what they're doing...trust me," he replied._

 _I then looked at Takeda and Hikari._

 _"What about those two?" I asked.  
"Hikari has mastered Mugai-Ryu to a proficiency that surpassed even Master Ma himself...and she's also extremely proficient in Tatsumi-Ryu which is the reason she carries two swords seeing as a speed style like Tatsumi-Ryu would get more benefit from a smaller wakizashi than a large katana," he explained.  
"She's better than Masahiro?" I said in disbelief.  
"Hikari Ishiyama is in a class of her own...she's probably the best female swordfighter in the country," he replied._

 _I nodded slowly as I looked to Takeda._

 _"What about him?"  
"His reputation as the Hitokiri Tsuinkiba was coined due to his extremely unorthodox habit of wielding swords in a reverse grip...what's even more amazing is that he's able to do that with **two** swords instead of one and he is the only man I've heard of who has successfully done this," said Keita._

 _I looked at Takeda as he continued to attack Irou, who was barely able to keep up with him._

 _"The real reason why Takeda's so skilled with a sword is because he was trained to fight with five different styles...so he's mastered more than any other swordsman I can think of apart from his master...which is another matter entirely," he said.  
"What do you mean?" I asked.  
_

 _Keita let out a deep sigh._

 _"Yoshi Amaretsu, better known as the Slicing Winds Of The West, is considered the greatest swordsman on this half of Japan...his reputation is so fearsome that he's considered a flee on sight order anytime he's sighted on the battlefield...I don't think there's anyone within our grasp who has an even remote chance against him," he explained.  
"Why's that?" I asked.  
"Yoshi is in a class entirely of his own...and he's the one who trained Takeda; if it wasn't for Yoshi, Takeda would never have become the Hitokiri Tsuinkiba...there's a reason why Takeda chose to run instead of fight him when he saw him in Kanariko even with backup from my clan," said Keita._

 _I looked down at the ground but noticed that the swords suddenly stopped clanging._

 _"Men have told stories about your skills with two blades...why don't you demonstrate them?" asked Irou._

 _Takeda shook his head._

 _"Discarding my second blade was more than just giving up my former life as a killer...it was discarding the other side of me that was able to slay innocent people and discarding a bloodlust that rivals even that of Zakuno," he said._

 _Irou shook his head._

 _"I've always wanted to see your skills when you wield two blades...it's something that very few have seen," said Mizuho._

 _Takeda shook his head and sheathed his sword._

 _"I've left those days behind me...I apologize," he said._

 _Much to my astonishment, I saw Hikari swing her sword at him. He instantly reacted and parried the blow, unsheathing his blade at such a blinding speed that I didn't even notice his hand movements._

 _"The only way you're going to be able to defeat your master is if you use both your blades Takeda...we all know that," she said._

 _He looked at her with astonishment clear in his eyes._

 _"None of us are a match for him...you're the only one who can defeat him in a duel because you know him better than any of us...so if we have to be aggressive to make you use your second blade, so be it,"_

 _Irou drew his sword as well as Mizuho as they ran at him. I rose to stop them but Keita grabbed my hand._

 _"Don't interfere...Takeda needs to face his demons," he said._

 _I watched as he fended all three of them off, parrying and dodging their swings but a fight of three versus one was no small task even for him._

 _I saw two of them dash forward and before I could register that they had reached the distance, I heard both swords whistle through the air as they slashed at his head. He held both of them back by using both his hands to steady the blade as he rolled backwards. He shook his head as he tried to move away._

 _"How're you going to protect Fumiko if you can't fight at your best Takeda?" snapped Irou._

 _Takeda froze upon hearing her name as he turned back to Irou._

 _"Don't mention her name..." he said coldly.  
"You're a coward who doesn't want to do what's necessary to bring peace to this country," continued Irou.  
"I'm warning you Master Irou...you're treading on **very** thin ice..."  
"You're all talk and no skill; you won't even draw your second sword out of some misguided sense of self-righteousness...what's the point of being trained in such skills if you aren't going to put them to good use? It's a complete waste of talent if you ask me," he said._

 _Mizuho shook her head._

 _"Irou...that's enough," she said.  
"I've seen too many people die in front of me Mizuho and this man is making excuses for not fighting at his best? How are we supposed to defeat the greatest swordsman on this half of the country if he can't bring himself to fight at his highest potential? He couldn't even protect Kayla and look what happ-"_

 _I didn't even notice Takeda move as he cleared the distance to Irou, looking at him coldly._

 _"One more word...and I'll remove your tongue," he snapped.  
"Your sister is lying unconscious because of your master and you're still going to hold your blade back because of some vow? You're nothing but a coward Takeda...some hitokiri you are," growled Irou._

 _Takeda unsheathed his sword and swung at a blinding speed which Irou was only just able to read and block._

 _"Your foul mouth needs to be silenced,"_

 _I felt the ice within his voice...and his tone was completely unlike the man that was there only moments ago._

 _"Your weakness got Kayla killed...if you weren't afraid of fighting Yoshi, you could've prevented her death," said Irou.  
" **THAT'S ENOUGH IROU!** " cried Hikari._

 _I didn't even notice Takeda's other hand reach for his sister's sword as he swung, slicing some of Irou's armor clean off as he eyed him with the most murderous intent I had ever seen._

 _"You have no idea what you've awakened," said Takeda._

 _He flipped both swords into a reverse grip as he charged at Irou, effortlessly blocking every single slash he tried as he kicked him to the ground. Mizuho attempted to interfere but Takeda blocked her sword._

 _"Get out of the way," he growled._

 _He threw Mizuho off of him as he ran at Irou again, only for Hikari to block his swing._

 _"Takeda...you have to calm down...Irou has no idea what it was like for you and I know you sheathed that second sword for a reason...don't give in," she cried._

 _He closed his eyes as he kicked Hikari to the floor._

 _"Weakness...is no longer a part of me,"_

 _Irou grasped his chance to strike but Takeda blocked it again and was bearing down on him thanks to his larger frame. Mizuho got to her feet and swung only for him to block it with his other blade as he spun on both heels and charged. He astonishingly was able to keep both of them on their toes, relentlessly slashing at both using an arm to occupy each until he saw an opening to kick Irou to the ground. Once he did, he pivoted on his heel and kicked Mizuho in her stomach, sending her to the ground as Hikari came in with a slash of her own. He sidestepped it easily and sung both blades towards her head._

 _She managed to block and had to press her other arm against the dull end of her sword in order to keep him from pushing her down to the ground. She managed to throw him off as she struck towards his head but he leaned back, letting the blade swung safely past his face before he swung his weapon at her. Much to my surprise, Caitlin reacted almost instantly and rolled away from her strike, making it seem like a complete miss. She quickly got to her feet to parry another strike, throwing him off to the left and landing a hard kick to his gut. He stumbled back, gripping his stomach but shook the pain off as he sheathed both his swords and removed one from his waist, taking a stance with it in one hand._

 _"Why did he do that?" I asked.  
"Battojutsu means the art of sword-drawing; he's using one of the techniques," replied Keita._

 _Hikari seemed terrified of his face as she entered a similar stance._

 _"Battojutsu huh?" I asked.  
"Both of them are arguably the most skilled in the art...this fight will boil down to whoever is faster with their draw speed," he replied._

 _There was a brief pause as both of them eyed each other. Within a split second, they dashed at each other and drew their swords, colliding with each other with such force, the clang could be heard throughout the yard. Takeda twisted to the right and managed to land an elbow to her chest as he swept her off her feet in a fluid motion as he raised his sword over her. Before she could recover, he held the blade towards her._

 _"Do you yield?" he asked._

 _I saw Irou come at him again but Takeda again reacted instantly, ducking under the horizontal slash and landing a devastating kick to his face as he walked towards him. I grasped some of my darts as I looked at his movement._

 **"This is the man that everyone fears...he's so relentless that he's making them all look as if they're just amateurs...I can't believe this is the same man who's been so good to us..."**

 _"You've spoken ill of me for the last time Irou...now it's time to die," he said._

 _He raised his sword to land a killing blow but Mizuho managed to strike him hard in the ribs, sending him to the ground but only for a brief moment as he flipped back to his feet. He shook his head as he charged at her, effortlessly getting past her defensive stance as he kicked her to the ground. The moment I saw him raise his blade, I prepared to throw a dart at him but Hikari managed to strike him with her sheathed sword in the temple, knocking him out cold._

* * *

 **Present Time**

"Irou provoked him so much that he temporarily reverted?" asked Masaharu.

I nodded slowly.

"If Hikari didn't knock him out...I don't think Mizuho nor Irou would be alive right now..." I replied.

Masahiro shook his head.

"Irou's always been the kind of man to never back down from a challenge...even if it's bigger than he is; I'll have a word with him to ensure this doesn't happen again," he said.

I nodded.

"He'll be alright?" asked Yuki.  
"Higana already tended to him...he's currently in his sleeping quarters and Shibaru is there watching over him to see if he comes back to his normal self when he wakes up," I explained.

Masaharu nodded.

"Alright, dismissed...we'll pick this up tomorrow,"

* * *

 **Later That Evening- Takeda's Sleeping Quarters**

I woke up with a jolt as I looked around frantically. I felt no hand in mine as my heart began to race.

"Finally awake?"

I turned around and much to my relief, Takeda was standing by the window. Higana had done an excellent job in bandaging him. Most of the cuts on his face had already sealed up. All in all, he looked worlds better than he did before. My emotions once again took hold of me as I ran over to him and hugged him deeply. I was amazed he wasn't hurt by the force of my body but he happily accepted it, wrapping his arms around me and stroking the back of my head gently. I was amazed he didn't feel much pain in his right shoulder considering the bruises and swelling that was all over his body.

"How are you feeling?" I asked.  
"Just fine; I suppose I bit off more than I could chew when I decided to fight all of them while Fumiko was on my mind," he replied.

I released him and leaned away as I lowered my head...now feeling my guilt coming back in full force.

"I...I really should've told you everything about Fumiko...but I just didn't want to burst your bubble; you were so happy," I sobbed.

He shook his head and smiled at me.

"I understand...you don't have to explain yourself," he whispered.

I don't know how he could be so kind to me when I literally sat there and did nothing to help him.

"If you had told me what happened to her then, I probably would've lost control of myself...it was probably better that you didn't tell me everything," he whispered.

He moved a little closer and lifted my chin to face him.

"Thank you for looking out for me Shibaru,"

 **~ o ~**

To say that I was grateful was an understatement. I tried everything to distract myself from going to see Fumiko in her heavily dilapidated state because I knew if I did, my other side would've likely reawakened and I'd have ridden right back to Rangeku Town to kill every last one of those slave traders.

I couldn't deny that I was a little angry at Shibaru; she had done quite a bit in order to stop me from falling back to my old ways but she always did it for my own good. When she knocked me out at the inn, she did it in order to stop me from breaking my vow because she knew just how icy I could get when angered...and she was always there to calm me down. I had no idea how she was able to keep the dark side in check but she somehow succeeded every time.

Now here we stood. After deciding to spar with everyone at the same time, Irou and Hikari ended up injuring me once I became distracted by my thoughts for Fumiko and Dawn. Even though I was very used to fighting more than three people at the same time, my mind was just too clouded by my barely conscious sister and best friend. Shibaru knew how they were but she chose not to tell me in order to prevent me from doing something stupid...and she was right to.

I woke up twenty minutes ago to see that I was already bandaged so I could only assume that Higana or Yuki had come and did the job while I was still out cold. I saw Shibaru asleep at my side and didn't see anyone else around so I slipped my hand through hers and got on my feet, feeling surprisingly energized despite my obviously battered body; whoever fixed me up did a damn good job.

 _"I need to remember that I'm not the same man that I used to be...I'm no longer a man who finds pleasure in battle...I need to stop being so reckless or it's going to get me killed,"_

Then here I was now...holding her in my arms and looking right at her.

"Promise me something," she said.

I nodded.

"Don't take on everything by yourself...let us help," she said.

I opened my mouth to retort but she silenced me with her index finger.

"I don't want to hear an argument... _promise_ _me_ ," she whispered.

Her tone was firm but I could still sense the great concern within it so I nodded.

"I promise," I replied.

She then gave me one of her signature heart-melting smiles. I had no clue why that smile was so powerful...maybe it was because she was one of only three people who was actually able to get past my walls and defenses...maybe it was because she was just that beautiful of a woman or maybe it's because she's the kind of person I've needed to keep everything in balance for all these years.

I was always told by my friends back in my days as a hitokiri that one day, a woman would come and I would finally be able to stop being a manslayer. That one day, I could finally put my sword down and not look back...and I could finally forget all of the suffering that I caused using a blade. Most importantly, I would finally be able to live in happiness for the rest of my days.

There was just something about Shibaru's smile I just couldn't describe...the feeling it gives me, there's just no words to describe it; it always rendered me speechless and it warmed my heart so much...and it sent an unknown million volts of red hot electricity through my body. I don't think there's another woman alive who's ever caused me to be at a loss for words...

Seeing her happy was at first just a luxury but now...I felt like I had to do whatever it takes to ensure that her smile would never turn to a frown. Her brown eyes were ones that I had learn to read and understand...and I had no idea how I was already able to do so after knowing her for such a short amount of time. Her silver hair for some reason always intrigued me; she always kept it in such good condition and even though it was the reason why she has her moniker, she didn't seem like a cold blooded assassin at all. Ever since the first time I met her, when I saved her from poisoning by those men...I had no idea what kind of force compelled me to watch out for her...to protect her.

Those eyes of hers met mine and I couldn't help but stare back. The silence suddenly became comfortable and for some reason, she appeared in much greater detail.

Her beautiful brown eyes were slightly red from an obvious lack of sleep; she must've been worried about my mental state due to seeing me revert in Rangeku Town not to mention the weight of her decision to not tell me Fumiko's real state. They were still _her_ eyes however...the very eyes I learned to read and understand and the eyes I looked into so much whenever she decided to sit and talk to me about things. Her face was as usual devoid of any blemishes and still held the same gentle brown tone that she always had albeit a little darker thanks to the extended amounts of time she had to spend in the hot sun. Her long silver hair was still in surprisingly great condition despite all of the battles she was involved in...and it truly puzzled me as to how she kept it looking so pristine. Most importantly, she had the same smile...the smile that was purely _her_.

I closed my eyes and turned away, releasing her from the embrace before my emotions got the better of me. She seemed confused as to why I turned away as I started to walk away. She however grabbed my right hand.

"Why are you running away?" she asked.

I let out a heavy breath.

"I'm trying to keep myself from doing something stupid," I replied.

I knew things would get worse if I let myself feel this for her; decisions would be clouded, judgement would be altered in her favor and irrationality was sure to follow.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

I closed my eyes tightly, feeling my courage beginning to falter.

"I'm going to go get some air," I said.

She did not relinquish my hand.

"What are you going to do that's stupid?" she asked.

I shook my head.

"Now's not the time to talk about that Shibaru...now let me go," I said.

I tried to sound cold but for some reason, I was unable to bend my voice; my body and vocal cords seemed to act against my will, almost as if they both wanted me to be truthful to her.

"Is it really so difficult to be truthful with me Takeda?" she asked.

I closed my eyes as I gently eased my hand out of hers and turned back to her.

"I...don't have any words to describe any of it," I said.

My eyes widened as I felt her embrace.

"There's nothing wrong with feeling comfortable around someone...you've lived most of your life being unable to express your emotions and acting like a weapon...you don't need to be afraid of showing your feelings because you're not a weapon Takeda...you're _human_ ," she explained.

My heart rate quadrupled as she released me.

"I...I can't describe this kind of feeling," I began.

My eyes shut instantly.

 **~ o ~**

"Whenever I look at you...I can't just look without my heart racing...without suddenly struggling to breathe and without my limbs getting weak," he began.

His words made my heart skip a beat. He wasn't looking at me and his tone sounded like a mad mix of anger and sadness.

"I have no idea what kind of feeling this is...but I know that I like it... _a lot_ ," he continued.

I attempted to say something but he continued on.

"It's been only weeks...I've known people for far longer than you and yet...you're the only one who gets me into this state and I don't understand why...I can't get you out of my thoughts no matter how hard I try...it's outright _maddening_ at times," he said.

He had to have been bottling this up for a while to be reacting like this; I've never heard him so disheartened and... _scared_?

"You're the only person who's been able to keep my other side in check...the only other person I think who could do that is my sister but you make it seem easy; many have tried to curb that side of me but only you have successfully managed to repel it," he continued.

He took a deep breath.

"Whatever this feeling is Shibaru...it's something that you and _only_ you have been able to make me feel...and all I can think about is protecting you, keeping you safe and never allowing any sort of harm to come to you no matter what kind of odds I have to face..."

He sighed softly.

"It sounds absolutely insane for someone I've known for such a short amount of time but ever since that night when I saw Zakuno throw that dagger into your leg...I felt as if I had to come with you because from that moment, you were all that was on my mind,"

He turned to look at me, clearly still deep in conflict in his mind; he just indirectly admitted the way he felt about me...and he thought it was a **_bad_ ** thing? He opened his eyes and I noticed how vulnerable they were. In fact...I had never seen him so vulnerable since I saw him break down after seeing his sister in the cage yesterday. His usual powerful hazel eyes were now a complete shell of what they usually were...and even though his face was largely blank and emotionless, I learned to be able to read how he was feeling by the sound of his voice and the look in his eyes...and right now, he was absolutely terrified because he was feeling something he had never felt in his entire life before.

 _"His life as a killer prevented him from experiencing love...let alone understand what it means..."_

I gently embraced him. He tensed immediately but I stroked the back of his head with one of my hands.

"You don't have to understand it now...there's plenty of time to discover it but one thing's for sure," I said.

I leaned back and gently kissed his cheek.

"You're not at all the killer that you've been reputed to be...you're too good of a man to truly be that killer and if that side of yours comes out...I'll be there to keep you from losing control," I whispered.

He smiled at me as he embraced me gently.

"Thank you...so how about that tea we were talking about?"  
"Can it wait till morning...I'm really tired..." I sighed.

He chuckled softly.

"As you wish," he replied.

* * *

 **Meanwhile- Sairensu's Sleeping Quarters**

"Who's there?"  
"It's Tashika...thought I'd bring you some of the food I cooked tonight because you didn't show up for dinner,"

I swallowed hard as I put my kunai down on the table.

"It's open," I said.

He entered the room with a smile on his face as he brought me a tray of food.

"Made some sushi and rice balls...thought you'd enjoy them," he said.

I happily accepted it and took a bite, absolutely loving how it tasted.

"You need to cook more often," I said.  
"I cook some really good breakfast let me tell you..." he chuckled.

I smiled brightly at him as we began to talk about the trip to Rangeku. He seemed very surprised to hear what happened to Takeda when he almost lost control of himsefl as well as the conditions of Dawn and Fumiko but he still kept that same hopeful look on his face.

"I know I'm not the best swordsman around...but this is a cause I truly believe is worth serving," he continued.  
"...Do you think we can win this war?" I asked.

He nodded.

"There's nothing our clans can't conquer if we work together," he replied.

I nodded slowly.

"Sorry I haven't been here; they keep sending Shibaru and I to do things so we don't really get any time to spend for ourselves," I said.  
"We have about three days now...might as well make good use of it right?" he chuckled.

I smiled and nodded as I brought my chess set over from the table in front of me.

"Let's do this,"

* * *

 **Later That Night- Yuki's Sleeping Quarters**

"I can't believe so much has happened in all this time,"

Ichiru stroked my hair and put his chin on top of my head.

"You're doing your best Yuki...no one can ask for more than that," he replied.  
"Kayla's dead and I have no idea what's going to happen next...that accident in the courtyard might've resulted in the deaths of one or more of our most vital fighters and strife just appears to be going through the whole unit...I really wish that we could just all work together without a hassle," I continued.

Ichiru shook his head.

"Irou really overstepped his boundaries but he does have a valid point; Takeda's fear of reverting to his hitokiri personality renders him unable to fight at his best, which makes things a lot more difficult than they have to be but at the same time, do we really want the true Hitokiri Tsuinkiba on our side? We may not like what he becomes..." said Ichiru.

I shook my head and sighed.

"It was already heartbreaking for him to find his best friend as well as his sister in a slave trader's pen...and finding them abused and addicted to drugs which couldn't at all have sat well in his mind," he continued.  
"How he was able to stay in control when he saw his sister the first time...I'll never understand how he can live up to a vow so faithfully because I'd have lost it completely," I said.

Ichiru nodded.

"The Tengoku Clan is also an issue because Kayla's untimely passing has really shattered morale so we have to allow the clan to get back onto its feet before we can do anything major," he said.  
"Rozu is already there trying to get them back together but she's such a young leader...I don't know if she'll be able to adapt," I said.  
"She has you for advice and Keita sent for some elders in a family clan...so she'll have support," said Ichiru.

I nodded as my thoughts drifted to the operation.

"I don't know if it's a wise idea to attack the outpost right now...I think we need a few days to sort everything out before we make any kind of move on that location," I said.  
"Agreed," replied Ichiru.

I snuggled against his chest as I sighed once more.

"Where are Sakina and Seto? They were here earlier," I said.  
"They both went with Rozu to help her get the clan back in their feet...Sakina's actually very well versed in a lot of the things because Kayla and her often met to make decisions for the clan," replied Ichiru.  
"Seto went with her?" I asked.

Ichiru nodded and I snickered softly.

"He's certainly taken a liking to her," I said.  
"It's hard not to; she's really lively and a lot of fun to be around...especially when drinking," replied Ichiru.

I chuckled loudly.

"I really hope things get better for us...at this rate, it's going to be a long and difficult road," I said.  
"You worry too much Yuki...now go to sleep; you've barely slept a wink in the last two days," he said.

I nodded and allowed myself to drift off.

"Sweet dreams," he whispered.

* * *

 **Late That Night- The Courtyard**

I noticed that Takeda was standing outside, staring towards the moon. My curiosity now piqued, I approached him.

"What're you doing out so late?" I asked.

He turned to me and smiled.

"I think best when I'm outside looking at the moon," he replied.

I sat on the bench beside him.

"Your sister's going to be alright...so will your friend," I said.

He nodded.

"I'm not doubting your skills Higana...I'm not worried about the two of them at all," he said.  
"Then what's on your mind?" I asked.

He shook his head slowly.

"I'm not used to having friends and allies to rely on; the majority of my life was spent in solitude and waiting for the next contract...having people who want to help is something that I still haven't gotten used to...guess it's just my lone wolf instincts making it difficult for me to let people in," he said.  
"You seem to have let Shibaru in just fine," I teased.

He laughed softly.

"I saved her life twice...and I have no idea why I did because the old me would've considered her nothing more than collateral...maybe I really am beginning to leave my past behind me," he said.

I looked at him, suddenly realizing that he was actually quite a handsome man. He was very well built though not at all large in frame and stature. Underneath his black hakama, I could only imagine how toned and defined he was from all of the intensive training he puts himself through; I had seen him practice sword drills with a full weighted katana and it was actually quite scary as to how swift he was even with such a heavy sword in his hands. He was also very agile, sometimes putting his sword away and beating down on training dummies with only his hands and feet.

His hazel eyes were something I had to learn to read in order to really tell what he was feeling at times but for the most part, he was warm to me. We became relatively good friends in the small amounts of time we had to speak with each other and he even shared some sake with me at one point during a night when I was unable to sleep. In all honesty, if he did not carry two swords and if he actually bothered to heal the scar on his cheek, I would never know that he used to be the hitokiri that so many people feared.

"So what're you thinking about?" I asked.  
"My reasons for being here," he replied.

He looked down towards the ground.

"I'm just trying to justify it to myself that I need to be here...because I want peace in this country; my days as a hitokiri taught me that everything I did was for the wrong cause and as long as Kyoto's government continues to be in power...the suffering will never cease," he said.

He turned to face me and began to walk away.

"I'll get some sake if you'd like," he offered.

I smiled.

"The drink we had last time was nice...so I'm up for it," I said.

He nodded as he went to get the sake.


	12. Everlasting Bonds (Part One)

**(A/N): Decided to add some more in regards to the softness that began last chapter.  
**

 **This is part one of a special I'm doing to kind of get the ships going.**

 **After this is done, I'll need one more person to respond to become part of the main cast.**

 **Decided on doing this mainly because I got a really nice idea in my head and well, 11 chapters into a Wandering Letters story without a bonafide romance scene? MADNESS.**

 **Let's hop to it shall we?**

* * *

 **SPECIAL NOTE: This chapter is in loving memory of my cousin Lisa, who inspired this special and helped me improve as not only a writer but as a person as well.**

 **I'll always love you Lisa, this one's for you!**

* * *

 **WARNING: Sappy romance, cheesy lines, passionate words and mildly sexual content ahead.  
** **Read at your own risk!**

* * *

 **Chapter 11: Everlasting Bonds (Part One)**

* * *

 **The Following Week- The Courtyard**

"Prepping your horse? Where are you going?"

Shibaru turned to her master and smiled as she blushed.

"I agreed to go to the teahouse with Takeda today," she replied.

Gurin snickered softly as she placed a hand on Shibaru's shoulder.

"Is this out of keeping your word?" she asked.

Shibaru slowly shook her head.

"...It actually sounds appealing; it's a break from all the strife and pain that's been spreading through this place as of late," she replied.

Gurin smiled once more.

"Where is Takeda?" she asked.  
"He went to check on his sister before we leave," replied Shibaru.  
"Oh? You're going to the teahouse too?"

The two kunoichi turned to see Yuki and Ichiru.

"We were going into town to visit the hot springs...maybe it could be a double date?" suggested Ichiru.

Shibaru laughed softly.

"We tend to go everywhere together as a group don't we?" said Gurin.  
"It would be good to take some time away from the fighting and killing so why don't we all take this day to take some time to ourselves?" suggested Yuki.

Shibaru sighed softly.

"It's true...we've been working ourselves to the bone as of late... _especially_ with the training," she said.  
"Then how about we all go? A day away from all the carnage sounds quite appealing actually," asked Ichiru.

Shibaru smiled.

"I guess it makes sense; the spa's having a special for large groups," said Yuki.  
"I'll get the horses prepped," said Shibaru.

* * *

 **A Few Hours Later- Iwasaki Springs, Nangeku Town**

"Wait a second...Seto? Your family **owns** this place?" exclaimed Yuki in disbelief.  
"My grandfather founded this place last generation but I was never able to migrate over here to take it over so I have my cousins run it instead," replied Seto with a cheeky smile.

Mizuho laughed softly.

"Bet you've taken Sakina here a few times haven't you?" teased Keita.

Seto rolled his eyes.

"Make yourselves at home...wait, where's everyone else?" asked Seto.  
"Sairensu and Tashika disappeared when we got to town...I think Takeda wandered off on his own, something about looking for someone to heal his scar," replied Shibaru.  
"Why aren't you with him?" asked Gurin raising her eyebrow.

Shibaru shrugged.

"I'm not his keeper," she replied.

Gurin chuckled loudly.

"Where's Rozu?" asked Masahiro.  
"She's at the tavern...most likely drinking because she still hasn't been able to get over Kayla's passing," replied Keita with a sigh.

Masahiro nodded as he turned to leave.

"I'm going to look for her...I'll be back here later for dinner," he said.

Before anyone could retort, he left the building.

* * *

 **Meanwhile- A Healer's Tent In Nangeku Town**

"Of course my dear boy, that scar can be healed without any hassle at all," said the man.

I smiled at him and bowed gratefully.

"Thank you sir," I replied.

He motioned me over to a chair. I sat down as he began to look through a large shelf full of herbs.

"So may I ask what the legendary Hitokiri Tsuinkiba is doing here in Nangeku?" asked the doctor.

I shook my head.

"I hold no attachment to that name anymore...my days as a hitokiri are behind me," I replied.

The doctor nodded slowly.

"That explains why you'd like to be rid of the scar," he replied.

I nodded slowly.

"I...I suppose I'm just taking the next step in shedding my past," I said.

The doctor nodded as he approached me with some kind of powder in his hand. After mixing it with some water, he gently applied it to my scar. It stung immensely at first but it eventually began to feel cold.

"This is to ensure that no infection is still within the wound...I will have to repair it manually," he explained.

I nodded slowly.

"Would you prefer being unconscious for the surgery?" he asked.

I shook my head.

"I am positive that I have suffered wounds far beyond that...I will bear it," I replied.

He nodded slowly as he began to prepare what I assumed to be the healing mixture. I then heard a scream outside.

"It must be those bandits again...those young people never stop flashing their swords around the place," said the doctor.

I rose from the chair and bowed graciously.

"Allow me a moment to see what the fuss is about?" I asked.  
"I wouldn't interfere...if you intervene, your presence will spread throughout the town and then everyone will know that the Hitokiri Tsuinkiba is here," replied the doctor.

I then pointed to my scar.

"Cover it with something,"

 **...**

"You're late on your protection money again...now pay up before I get angrier,"

Another scream followed as another punch landed, sending a man to the ground groaning loudly.

"Why are you doing this! We're supposed to have a week to pay the rest off!" cried the man.

The bandit kicked him hard in the stomach as he laughed.

"We want our payment now and if you can't provide it...well, there's other ways of repaying us," said the bandit with a snicker.

Suddenly, a woman stood in front of the man lying on the floor.

"Leave him alone!" she cried.

The bandit raised an eyebrow and smiled.

"Well then, you'll do nicely," said the bandit.

He grabbed the woman by her hand but she swiftly launched a kick to his stomach and then another to his head, sending him to the floor in a dizzying spin. He growled loudly as he drew his sword and rose to his feet.

"You've got a lot of nerve hitting the guys who are protecting this sorry excuse for a house...now you're gonna pay for it one way or another," growled the man.  
"Enough,"

The woman and bandit turned to see Takeda, standing with anger clear on his face. His scar was completely concealed by the makeup the doctor applied to his face.

"Who are you?" snapped the man.  
"That doesn't matter...what matters is that you're causing a disturbance and I'm not going to sit on the sidelines and watch you hurt innocent people," replied Takeda.

The bandit looked down to see that Takeda had a sword.

"A swordsman? As young as you? This must be some kind of joke," he said.

Takeda shook his head.

"I'm giving you one chance to turn yourself in and if you don't, I'll make you," said Takeda.

The bandit laughed loudly as he looked at the woman behind him.

"Be with you in a moment," he said.

Takeda looked to the woman as his eyes widened for a brief moment once he caught a glimpse of her face.

 _"...Is that?...no...that can't be her...there's no way...she couldn't have survived the raid..."_

Takeda shook his head as the man charged at him. He sidestepped the man's slash easily, making no move to draw his sword. The man continued to try and cut him but his sword found nothing but air until he began to pant heavily. Takeda shook his head once more.

"You fight like a child," he said.  
"How dare you!"

As the man raised his sword to strike, Takeda landed a swift kick into his stomach and pulled the entirety of his sword from his waist and struck the man hard with the base of the hilt, directly into the man's chin. The man fell to the ground as Takeda replaced his weapon. He then looked to the man on the floor.

"Go get the police," he said.

The man graciously bowed to his savior as he ran off to do what he asked. Takeda then turned to the woman and smiled.

"That was very brave of you...standing up to him like that," he said.

The woman smiled at him.

"I just wish I had a sword...but I haven't owned one for nearly 8 years," she replied.

 _"Eight years ago?...could it really be..."_

Takeda cleared his throat.

"Would the name Takeda Yuen mean anything to you by chance?" he asked.

The woman's eyes widened for a moment before her mood seemed to plummet.

"I had a friend with that name since we were teenagers...we trained in swordsmanship together but I haven't seen him in eight long years," she replied.

Takeda's eyes widened as his eyes hovered over a necklace she wore on her neck...that bore the symbol of his village.

"...Rei?" he began.

The woman raised an eyebrow.

"And just how do you know my name?" she asked, putting a hand on her waist.  
"Your name is Rei Ashigoto...and I know you because I trained with you," he replied.

She shook her head, not at all getting what he was referring to. He smiled as he reached into his hakama and pulled out an identical necklace to hers.

"You don't recognize me because we haven't seen each other in eight years...because I believed you to be dead," he replied.

He then removed his sword from his side once more and held it up in front of her. Her eyes soon began to widen as she realized who she was talking to.

"You...you're the hitokiri," she said.

Takeda nodded but shook his head.

"I am a hitokiri no more...and I didn't recognize you until I saw your necklace," he said.

She raised an eyebrow.

"Who are you then?" she asked.

He smiled as he approached her and put a hand on her cheek.

"Look closely Rei...do you really not recognize me?"

She examined him as best she could but shook her head.

"I...have no idea..." she said.

He smiled as he held her left hand and drew back her sleeve to reveal a small ring.

"We made these rings when we were training together...and we promised each other that we would become great swordfighters one day in the future and that we would fight each other to see who truly is the best," he said.

Her eyes widened as she then realized just who she was talking to.

"T-T-Takeda?!" she cried.

He smiled as he nodded slowly. He was instantly caught in an embrace. Slowly but surely, he returned it.

"I've...I've missed you so much Rei," he said.

Much to his surprise, she leaned away from him before kissing his cheek.

"...I've missed you more," she whispered.

Takeda's eyes narrowed as he put a hand on her cheek.

"I...didn't mean to disappear like that...the raid came so quickly..." he said.

She shook her head and smiled at him, a few tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I'm...just glad you're still alive," she said.

Takeda then looked away.

"I...have somewhere to be," he said.

Rei looked at him and nodded slowly.

"Are you going to be in town for a while?" she asked.  
"For the weekend...then I return to Tenjo," he replied.

She raised an eyebrow.

"Tenjo? I thought Tosando was your home?" she asked.

Takeda's eyes narrowed as he looked to his sword.

"A lot has changed since we met each other 8 years ago...I truly believed you to be dead,"

* * *

 ** _Eight Years Ago- Shukaku Outpost, Tosando_**

 _"Have you fulfilled your contract?"_

 _Takeda bowed obediently as he raised the part of the armor he sliced from his target, indicating that he indeed finished his target._

 _"You may return to your master but we leave in three days,"_

 _He bowed once more as he mounted his horse, riding off to the small camp Yoshi had established two years ago._

 _"You've returned and I trust your assignment was successful?" he asked._

 _Takeda nodded as Yoshi smiled at him._

 _"Excellent work...your friend has been waiting for you and I allowed her to stay; she seems quite fond of you," he said.  
"She shouldn't be here...her family is waiting for her back in her village," replied Takeda._

 _Yoshi nodded._

 _"Which is why you must turn her away from this place...if she remains here, she faces nothing but death," replied Yoshi._

 _Takeda closed his eyes and nodded._

 _"You don't think she should be a part of the regiment?" he asked.  
"She is a decent fighter...but she does not have the heart to fight for a cause such as this which is why you should take her back to her village and leave without her seeing you," said Yoshi._

 _Takeda shook his head._

 _"I never anticipated seeing her again; I thought she was taken during the raid on my village when I was recruited," he said.  
"There comes a time when a man has to discard something he cares for in order to further himself Takeda...I know that she's an old friend and you trained with her but now, it is either let her go or watch her die on the battlefield," said Yoshi._

 _Takeda nodded slowly._

 _"I will return tomorrow night master...please allow me time to say my goodbyes," he said._

 _Yoshi nodded._

 _"Your training will continue because it is time for you to learn my style of swordsmanship," replied Yoshi._

 _Takeda nodded obediently._

 _"Thank you master,"_

 ** _..._**

 ** _The Following Morning- Bankotsu Village_**

 _"What do you mean you have to leave?" asked Rei._

 _Takeda shook his head._

 _"Master Yoshi believes that you should not involve yourself in the tasks of Kyoto," he replied._

 _Rei shook her head vigorously._

 _"You and I trained for this since we were thirteen years old...and now he wants to send me away?!" she snapped back._

 _Takeda closed his eyes._

 _"He has a point Rei...you don't have the heart or stomach to take a life in cold blood," he replied._

 _Rei looked at him in disbelief._

 _"And you are?" she replied.  
"I've been forced to undergo a lot of extra training because it appears they have something important for me to do...all of that training has hardened me to the point where I am more than capable of doing what's necessary for my country," replied Takeda._

 _She shook her head and leaned into his chest._

 _"I...don't want to leave your side...you're my closest friend and all I have left..." she cried._

 _Mustering his courage and closing his emotions away, he gently pushed her off of him._

 _"I've been assigned to the Shijo province because I am to undergo special training...I don't know if I'll be able to see you again," he said._

 _He opened his eyes suddenly once he felt her hand on his cheek._

 _"I'll wait for you...because I know I'll see you again one day," she said._

 _He barely got a chance to react before she kissed his cheek._

 _"Don't die on me Takeda Yuen,"_

 ** _..._**

 ** _Five Days Later- Yoshi's Dojo, Shijo Province_**

 _"Master Yoshi!"_

 _Takeda turned to see a man with a scroll in his hand, bowing obediently._

 _"What is it?" asked Yoshi._

 _He held the scroll out to him._

 _"A message from Kyoto master," he replied._

 _Yoshi took the scroll from his hand and unraveled it. His eyes widened._

 _"...I see," he said._

 _Takeda looked at him questioningly as he handed the scroll to him._

 _"You need to see this," he replied._

 _Takeda read through the scroll as his eyes instantly widened._

 _"...Bankotsu Village was razed to the ground...but why?" he exclaimed.  
"There were no survivors...I know that Mistress Rei's home was there...my deepest condolences Master Yuen," said the messenger._

 _Takeda fell to his knees, his heart suddenly feeling as if it were wrenched right through his chest cavity._

 _"Leave us," said Yoshi._

 _The messenger bowed and left the dojo as Yoshi approached his student._

 _"...I'm sorry about her my son," he said._

 _Takeda shook his head._

 _"It was better that she died in her home than to die on the battlefield where I would've been able to see her," replied Takeda._

 _He rose to his feet, his eyes now devoid of all emotion._

 _"I'm ready to learn master...I want my sword to play an important part in ending this bloodshed and for peace to finally come to our country," said Takeda._

 _Yoshi nodded._

 _"You've learned to discard your emotions in order to become stronger...I'm very proud of you my apprentice," he said._

 _He picked up his sword and faced him._

 _"Let us begin,"_

* * *

 **Present Time**

"So...that important role you had to play was as the Hitokiri Tsuinkiba?" she exclaimed.

Takeda slowly nodded.

"I killed a lot of people during those times; when I believed you to be dead...I lost all sense of morality until one fateful day when I murdered an innocent man...that was the day I decided that my days as a killer were over," he replied.

Rei nodded.

"I was not home when the raid came...so I wandered until I ended up here," she replied.

Takeda nodded.

"Do you live here?" he asked.

Rei shook her head.

"I was going to move on tomorrow...I still don't have a place to call my own," she said.

Takeda nodded slowly.

"What about you?" she asked.  
"I stopped working for the government years ago and I lived a similar lifestyle to yours...but I found my place with the Shogun of Tenjo," he replied.  
"Shogun Masaharu Du? He is a great man...a far greater leader than most of the other greedy pigs who call themselves leaders," she replied.  
"I believe he is a man that is worth serving...he's certainly earned my respect," said Takeda.

Rei smiled at him and nodded slowly.

"I'm glad you've been doing good...I wasn't sure if I'd ever see you again once my village was burned down," she said.

Takeda hugged her once more.

"Stay for the weekend Rei...we have a lot of catching up to do," said Takeda.

She returned the hug and leaned away from him.

"...Okay," she replied smiling.

* * *

 **Later That Evening- Iwasaki Springs**

"This water...is absolutely **incredible** ," gasped Yuki.

Shibaru slowly entered the hot spring and much to her delight, it was every bit as relaxing as advertised.

"I'm glad Seto's family was nice enough to allow us to stay here for the weekend," she said.  
"Sakina probably coaxed him into it," teased Sairensu.

Shibaru snickered.

"You were with Tashika for the entirety of the day doing who knows what...you're in no position to tease anyone," said Gurin rolling her eyes.

Sairensu shook her head, blushing furiously at her master's ability to silence her.

"What about you Mistress Gurin? Did you enjoy your time with Irou?" asked Mizuho.

She blushed lightly and shrugged.

"It was...eventful," she replied.  
"If by eventful you mean _boring_ , I totally understand; Irou's not a very fun person until he's had a few drinks," said Hikari with a snicker.

Gurin then turned to Shibaru, who had gone into her own little corner in the spring.

"Didn't you spend the day with Takeda?" asked Gurin raising her eyebrow.

Shibaru looked away.

"I distracted him long enough to get everything else in place...now he should be on his way back from the store," she said.

Gurin shook her head.

"That's not what I asked...you know what I mean," she said with a wink.

Shibaru's eyes narrowed.

"He came a little late but he explained that he ran into an old friend...some girl named Rei who he knew in his opening years as a hitokiri...he really seems to care for her," replied Shibaru.

Hikari shook her head.

"He's not that kind of man Shibaru; when he says old friend, he means exactly that," said Hikari.

Shibaru's eyes grew even more narrow.

"He said...that they used to be very close, nearly as close as he is with his sister," she explained.

Gurin approached her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"The keywords here are **used to be** Shibaru; he would never have spent the day with you instead of his friend if he didn't care for you and if he really did have feelings for her back then, the fact that he chose you over her means that he's over it," she whispered.

Gurin's words seemed to lift her spirits as she smiled.

"He's...really nice and he has very sweet words," she said.  
"Did you only go to the teahouse?" asked Sairensu.

Shibaru blushed as she began to tell them all about their time together.

 **...**

 **The Dojo, Iwasaki Springs**

"How are you so fast...I've never seen such speed before,"

A proud laugh followed his words as Tashika held out a hand to his fallen sparring partner.

"Been training my entire life under Master Ma...it doesn't help that you're bigger than me so I have an advantage," he said.

Keita smiled and took his hand before being hoisted to his feet.

"Well you're damn good at your craft kid," said Keita.  
"Thanks, I try my best," replied Tashika.  
"My turn,"

Keita stepped away as Irou approached Tashika. With a loud sigh, Tashika bowed to his superior and took a fighting stance.

"Ready to learn your place?" said Irou.  
"I've trained a very long time to beat you...now I'm going to,"

Irou charged at him and threw three swift punches but found nothing but air as Tashika easily dodged all of them. The fight continued on, each combatant throwing blow after blow but none seemed to find their mark. Tashika eyed Irou, searching for a sign of weakness until he noticed that he was slouching slightly.

 _"Irou never slouches...unless he had some drinks...that's my chance,"_

He ran towards Irou and pretended to throw a kick towards him. Once Irou braced himself to block it, Tashika pivoted on his heel and lowered his body, turning his kick into a sweep. Once Irou's legs entered the air, Tashika rolled forward and managed to land his other leg on Irou's stomach, pinning him down. Irou cursed loudly.

"Never again will I drink before sparring with you," he said.

Tashika jumped back to his feet and shook his head.

"Excuses,"

He took a seat on the floor away from the sparring mat as he turned to Seto, who was reading a book.

"Where's Sakina?" he asked.  
"Went to sleep; she wasn't feeling very well," he replied.

Tashika nodded.

"Have the other two arrived yet?" he asked.  
"They should be here any minute...I certainly hope they get here before Takeda does,"

As if on cue, a loud knock on the door alerted the men to arriving guests. Masahiro opened the door and smiled at who was on the other side.

"Alright! Everything is in place! Once he gets back with all the food, this party can begin!"

* * *

 **Later That Evening**

"I'm back with the food!"

Takeda looked around in confusion.

 _"Strange...no one appears to be here..."_

He entered the kitchen and placed the groceries on the counter. He put his ear to the wall and heard vibrations.

 _"Seems to be coming from...the dojo?"_

He slowly approached the dojo, his hitokiri instincts now kicking in.

 _"This doesn't seem right...they wouldn't disappear without telling me where they were going and Shibaru told me that we would be cooking dinner together...there must be something going on,"_

Takeda arrived at the entrance to the dojo and placed his hand on his sword.

 _"Shuffling and footsteps...seem very frantic,"_

He took a deep breath as he opened the door and peered inside only to get almost tackled by someone. Much to his astonishment, he knew who the person was.

"Hello big brother!"

He looked on in shock as Fumiko had somehow arrived at the inn.

"F-F-Fumiko? I thought you were at Sanctuary recovering from your injuries," he said.  
"I'm all better now...besides, there's no way I would miss today," she said.

He rose to his feet, only to get tackled again by someone bigger.

"Hey there,"

He smiled to see that Dawn had fully recovered from her injuries as well.

"I've missed you Dawn...I'm glad we found you," he said.  
"You're my best friend Takeda...you don't know how much I missed you," she said.

He hugged her one more time.

"You're never going back to that horrible place again...and I'm going to personally make sure that all those women get out of there," he said.

Dawn smiled at him and buried her face into his chest.

"You're still the same golden hearted idiot I've known since I was a child...I'm glad you haven't changed,"

After a few seconds, Takeda rose to his feet.

"What're you two doing here?" he asked.

Fumiko smiled and opened the door fully and much to his surprised, he saw everyone smiling at him.

"Happy Birthday Takeda!"


	13. Everlasting Bonds (Part Two)

**(A/N): Second part to this little special. May or may not do a part 3 because I feel as if another character deserves a scene as well but I don't at all want to write a 10,000 word chapter ever again.  
**

 **Just need one guy to take up the spot and then I can continue this. Special thanks to my cousin Lisa for giving me the idea and inspiring me to try this thing for the first time.**

 **Rest in peace Lisa.**

* * *

 **WARNING: Cheesy romance and/or love scenes ahead. Turn back if you do not like those things.**

 **I am not responsible for anything you cannot unsee!**

* * *

 **Chapter 11.5: Everlasting Bonds (Part Two)**

* * *

 **The Dojo, Iwasaki Springs**

I barely got a chance to react as Irou's blade whizzed past my face.

"Come on now...you're way better than this Mizuho," he said.

I shook my head, trying desperately to regain my senses.

"Who's bright idea was it to fight while drunk?" I asked.

I looked at Keita who was snickering.

"Can they not use real swords at the very least?" asked Dawn.

Keita rolled his eyes.

"You're no fun...fine, use wooden ones,"

I scoffed as I sheathed my sword and sat beside Keita before punching him in the stomach.

"You're a moron," I snapped.

Keita groaned softly but looked at me with a smile.

"You know you love it,"

I lightly blushed as I turned back to the mat to see Gurin looking at Irou.

"You've had way too much to drink tonight," she said.  
"At least I'm having fun unlike you miss always serious," replied Irou.

Gurin rolled her eyes as she shoved him out of the room.

"Go drink some water and sober up," she snapped.

I laughed softly as I looked to the left to see that Takeda and Tashika had stepped up onto the sparring mat. They did not have any swords.

"One on one time?" asked Tashika.  
"If you insist," replied Takeda.

Both of them were notorious for their excellent speed and adaptability, especially Tashika who managed to beat Irou in a sparring match despite being completely outclassed in just about every way possible. I had never known Takeda to be a very capable unarmed combatant however but considering the stance he took, I was about to find out.

Tashika dashed at him as they exchanged blows, each being either blocked or dodged entirely in a mad rush of speed and agility. Even though Takeda was a lot more experienced that Tashika could ever be, Tashika was holding his own rather well for someone so young. Tashika then attempted to sweep Takeda off of his feet but with a swift reaction, Takeda flipped over his leg and managed to land back on his feet before launching a kick of his own. Tashika barely managed to get his hand up in time to block the blow and once he did, Takeda spun and fired another one on the opposite side, forcing Tashika to roll out of the way. Takeda smiled.

"You're really quick on your feet...but you have one weakness that's obvious,"

Takeda dashed at him and attempted a sweep of his own. Tashika jumped into the air to avoid it but much to everyone's surprise, Takeda stopped mid sweep before pivoting on his heel and raising the leg, turning the sweep into a high kick which connected with Tashika's chest. He fell to the ground as Takeda leaped to his feet.

"You're very one dimensional in your fighting techniques and it's easy to predict exactly how you will react to anything coming at you...once you improve on that however, you truly will be a force to be reckoned with," he said.

He held out a hand to him as Tashika smiled.

"I should've expected you'd be this strong...you are a legendary warrior after all," he said.

Takeda shook his head.

"I am human like everyone else here; I just happen to have a great deal of experience under my belt in comparison to many of you," he replied humbly.

He hoisted Tashika to his feet and bowed respectfully as he turned to Fumiko, who looked very excited to see that he brother had truly become a great fighter.

"You've really come a long way Taki," said Dawn.

Takeda rolled his eyes.

"I told you I don't like that name..." he sighed.

Dawn flicked him in the forehead.

"Tough luck," she said sticking her tongue out.

He accepted the small cup from her and took a whiff.

"Boiling hot sake...clearly you want me to lose myself tonight," he said rolling his eyes.  
"You only turn 24 once and I've missed too many of your birthdays so drink up!" ordered Dawn.

With a heavy sigh, Takeda quickly downed the drink as he turned to Fumiko.

"Big brother! I want you to play this again!"

I watched her reach into her kimono and pull out...some kind of wind instrument.

"You...you still have my old Komabue?" he asked.

Fumiko nodded.

"Your friend Shibaru took me back to the town and I managed to get it back from a pawn shop...the man was really cooperative,"

I snickered softly; no doubt Shibaru threatened to cut him to pieces in order to give that back to Fumiko.

"...You kept it in excellent condition...but I haven't played a song since we were children," he said.

Fumiko shook her head.

"You played it for me all the time to put me to sleep when we were young...I have faith in you," she said.

 **~ o ~**

Takeda nodded slowly and took the small flute from her before kneeling down. He took a deep breath as he looked at me.

"I'll play the same song I played for Fumiko when we were children,"

My eyes widened as he let out a soft breath and closed his eyes before putting the flute to his mouth. I couldn't believe the sweet melody that he was producing with such a simple instrument.

 _"More and more...he's just proving to be an amazing man...sometimes, I completely forget that he was an assassin that's murdered so many people...it's almost as if he's a different man,"_

I noticed his eyes open slightly as he looked at me and smiled slightly. After about a minute of beautiful playing, he finally stopped. A tremendous round of applause followed as Fumiko ran to him and hugged him. Dawn approached him and rubbed his head, akin to how an older brother rubs his younger.

"You've still got it," she said with a wink.

Takeda smiled and rose to his feet.

"Thank you all for this memorable night...I was so absorbed in everything else that I didn't even realize my own birthday was actually today," he said.

He turned to Seto and bowed.

"Thank you for allowing us to stay here for the weekend," he said.  
"My pleasure; you all are my friends and as far as I'm concerned, just as much of a family as my own blood," replied Seto.

He then turned to me, smiling brightly.

"You managed to trick me and get me out of the place long enough for everyone to set this up...even though I ordinarily don't like being lied to,"

He approached me and much to my surprise, hugged me.

"Thank you...Shibaru," he said.

I slowly allowed myself to return the gesture. For some reason, all of what happened earlier seemed to have disappeared...

* * *

 _ **Earlier That Day- The Teahouse**_

 _"I'm sorry for being a little late Shibaru; I ran into an old friend,"_

 _I smiled at him and nodded._

 _"It's alright...I didn't have to wait long anyway," I replied._

 _We entered the teahouse and took our seats._

 _"Is it a friend from your home village?" I asked.  
"From my old life," he replied._

 _I raised an eyebrow._

 _"I thought hitokiri didn't have friends or even partners?" I asked.  
"It was just before I went to train with Yoshi...I had a training partner who I spent about 85% of my time with," he replied.  
"So you weren't a hitokiri the entire time?" I asked._

 _He shook his head._

 _"A lot of training had to be done in order to harden my resolve and just before I set out with Yoshi to train, I had to say goodbye to her," he explained._

 _For some reason, I felt a tinge of jealousy at the mention of the word **her**._

 _"She was very close to you I imagine," I mused._

 _He nodded slowly._

 _"She saved my life more times than I can count and she pushed me to my very limits...and it was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do when I let her go," he said.  
"What do you mean?"_

 _He explained his life with her at his side and just how close they were to each other...so close that they even appeared to be lovers. Leaving her in her home village only to hear that it was burned down five days later had to have been the turning point and what marked his transition into a true hitokiri; he had nothing left but his sister at that point. Even though I knew that I felt some kind of attraction towards him...I couldn't help but feel like there was no place for me in his heart. He had definitely shown his own interest; he chose to come to the teahouse when he could've just as easily stayed with Rei and caught up with her._

 _"I see...so how did it feel when you saw her again?" I asked.  
"I had an extremely difficult time believing that she was still alive; I had believed for so long that she was dead and my belief that she was single handedly changed my morality...it was what turned me into a hitokiri and it was what triggered the creation of my dark side," he explained._

 **"He must still have feelings for her...she's had a lot more time to make an impact on his life than I have...I guess I should've expected that I'd stand no chance with someone whose been there long before me,"**

 _My eyes closed but I felt a hand on mine. He was smiling at me._

 _"I know what's going through your head Shibaru...and rest assured that I burned that bridge a long time ago," he replied._

 _I shook my head._

 _"She's had a lot of time to make an impact on your life in comparison to me...and she's still alive after all of what you two have been through together...don't tell me this because I know you still feel something for her,' I said._

 _Takeda shook his head._

 _"I would agree with you if I had known she was still alive after all of this...but once I believed she was dead, I let go of all I felt for her," he said._

 _I still didn't believe a word he was saying; I had seen many men break the hearts of my fellow kunoichi internally within my clan. I tried to turn away but he stopped me, reaching into the pouch on my right side and pulling out a dart._

 _"You filled this with the toxins that prevent a person from lying correct?" he asked._

 _I nodded and much to my surprise, he immediately stabbed the dart into his right arm. He didn't even flinch at the impact; he kept his eyes on me for the entirety of injecting the serum into himself._

 _"Ask me anything you want," he said._

 _I couldn't believe how calm he was even after having just injected himself with what's supposed to be a painful drug. He looked at me with an unfazed face though his eyes were clearly determined._

 _"How close were you to Rei back then?" I asked.  
"We trained together...fought together and saved each other lives numerous times...so we were practically two halves to a whole," he replied._

 _I nodded slowly._

 _"Do you love her?"_

 _Takeda paused for a brief moment._

 _"I used to," he replied._

 _I shook my head vigorously._

 _"You can't simply let go of feelings like that," I snapped.  
"I had to let go of her in order to become the hitokiri I needed to be...I removed my ability to care for others in order to deaden my conscience to do what was necessary," he explained.  
"That doesn't mean you can't feel for her; you had to have had a surge of emotions when you saw her again after all of that time," I said._

 _Takeda nodded slowly._

 _"I won't lie when I say that my care for her came back in full force...but it isn't like it was before," he replied._

 _I once again shook my head violently, now suddenly feeling angered._

 _"Do you still feel for Rei?" I asked.  
"Yes I do," he replied._

 _My eyes narrowed as I prepared to leave but he caught my hand again._

 _"But that care...is **nothing** like what I feel for you," _

_I looked at him in complete disbelief._

 _"But-"  
"I knew I felt something for you when I first met you Shibaru,"_

 _He smiled slightly._

 _"I didn't have to save you when I saw you in conflict with those men...but I did because I saw your desire to serve the cause you fight for...then we spent time together,"_

 _He swallowed hard and took a sip of his tea._

 _"I've met a lot of people in my days...especially during the days I spent as a wanderer but not a single woman I has come even close to the way you make me feel,"_

 _He gently put a hand on my cheek._

 _"You were the only one who was able to bring me back from the verge of losing to my other side...and you are the only one whose been able to get me to open up so much...I haven't spoken so much about my past with anyone, not even Rei and Fumiko,"_

 _I blushed furiously._

 _"My interest...lies with you Shibaru and that's not changing,"_

* * *

 **Present Time**

My thoughts of what he did earlier in the day really began to flood back and my returning hug became a passionate embrace; his words were so sweet and genuine and the fact that he was more than willing to stab himself with a painful drug in order to prove a point. I could only imagine the faces that my master and Sairensu were making right now.

Takeda released me and brought his mouth to my ear.

"Meet me in the grove when everyone else is asleep," he whispered.

I smiled and nodded slowly as he walked away from me. I watched as Yuki stepped forward.

"I'd like to thank everyone for being here tonight...and after everything we've gone through these past few weeks, I think it's safe to say that we've become somewhat of a family," she said.

I nodded in agreement.

"For generations, our respective clans have formed the backbone of the province of Tenjo and for the first time, we have banded together for a different cause," she continued.

She left Ichiru's arms and stepped closer to the middle of the room, looking at each of us.

"We all know what's at stake and now more than ever, unity is necessary to take on the challenges ahead and I'm glad that all of us are here right now because I wouldn't trust my life to any other set of people because all of you have proven to be the absolute best of the best," she said.

A small round of cheers and applause followed her words.

"Takeda Yuen, or as most of you know him as the former Hitokiri Tsuinkiba is one such warrior and he has been invaluable to the cause that we now fight for...and I'm proud to call him an ally but more importantly, I'm proud to call him a friend," she said.

I looked to see that Takeda was smiling as he leaned against a wall with Dawn and Fumiko.

"Your sister let us know that it would be your birthday today so we couldn't resist in putting this little gathering together for you because ever since you came into our ranks, you've been there for all of us and always helped wherever you could...even though all of us were strangers to you," she said.

Takeda nodded.

"I know that we'll prevail over our enemies and I believe we can bring peace to our chaotic country...and we'll do it all together," she said.

She raised her cup above her head.

"To victory!" she cheered.

* * *

 **Late That Night- The Western Hot Spring**

 _"Glad I didn't drink so much...can't believe I haven't gone in this thing even once since I've been here,"_

Tashika removed his robes and lowered himself into the water, cringing at first at how hot it really was but after a few seconds, he eased his entire body into it.

 _"It really is incredible...I should come here more often,"_

Closing his eyes, he allowed himself to drift off into a state half way between sleep and euphoria.

 _"Long day today...still can't believe that I managed to beat Irou in that sparring match...though I should've guessed I was no match for Takeda,"_

He let out a deep breath.

 _"I'm glad I spent that time with Sairensu today...I didn't think I would've enjoyed my time with her **that** much though..."_

"Thought I'd find you here,"

Tashika's eyes widened and much to his surprise, he saw the woman he was thinking about standing at the door.

"Sai?! What're you doing here?" he exclaimed.  
"So I don't have a right to want to go in the hot springs whenever I want?" she replied raising an eyebrow.

Tashika sank into the water until only the upper half of his face was showing as he watched her approach the water. She rolled her eyes.

"It's impolite to stare," she said blushing furiously.

Even after having spent the day with her, doing things ranging from archery to friendly sparring, Tashika just couldn't get over how attractive she truly was. Despite not having a truly distinctive feature to set her apart like many of her clan, she was a very well balanced woman.

Her extensive training as a kunoichi had really given her a great figure that few women of her age could actually achieve. She had nearly unparalleled agility, bested only by her master and Shibaru and she had a reputation of always completing her contracts with great precision and efficiency but even though she was supposedly a cold heartless assassin, Tashika had somehow managed to thaw away much of the ice. The last few weeks he spent with her really opened his eyes to the fact that even though she was an elite warrior and assassin, she was just an ordinary woman beneath her mask.

Her long chocolate hair was now pinned into a neat bun, held together by engraved hair pins. Tashika had seen her body nearly in its entirety several times, whether she was training in nothing less than a form fitting top and shorts or even when she occasionally took a swim and he happened to see her come out of the water but never like this. He shut his eyes tightly and waited for her to get into the water. Once he heard a splash, he turned his back to her.

"...I can go into the other spring if you want," he said.  
"Does it look like I want you to go anywhere?"

He turned only to see that she had appeared right in front of him and was now gazing into his eyes with a smile.

"...Why aren't you asleep?" he asked.  
"Hard to put myself to sleep when all I can think about is how things will go from here on out," replied Sairensu.

Her eyes narrowed.

"Rozu didn't come to the retreat because she still has to take care of her clan after Kayla's passing...and I mean one of our absolute best went down in the blink of an eye so if someone as great as Kayla can die in a flash, what does that say for the rest of us?" she asked.

Tashika shook his head as he held one of her hands.

"We can't let fear get in the way...an uncountable number of lives rest in our hands and it's up to us to bring peace to our province and ultimately, our country," he said.

He took a breath.

"I understand just how much of a loss we suffered once Kayla died...but at the same time, I don't let it get to me because I know if I falter, it will only add to the stress that everyone is going through and that will break morale even more...so I stay strong for the greater good," he continued.

He closed his eyes.

"I have more than enough reasons to risk my life for my clan and for my home province...and you can be sure I'll do everything within my power to see Shogun Du's vision come to pass," he finished.

He felt a hand on his cheek as he looked to see Sairensu smiling at him.

"You said you have more than enough reasons...am I one of them?" she asked.

Tashika's heart suddenly skipped a beat and all train of thought seemed to have frozen solid. His lungs struggled to draw breath, his brain sent futile impulses for his limbs to move and even though he knew he wanted to say yes, she had caught him completely off guard with such a meaningful question. Throughout all the time he had known Sairensu, he would never have expected her to have such a deep emotional attachment but here she was, looking him dead in the eyes and truly wanting to know if she meant something to him. He gathered his courage and smiled.

"You're not just one of them...you've become one of the most important," he said.

She smiled and leaned against him, her body pressed against his.

"Good answer Tashika," she whispered.

Unable to resist the urge any longer, he leaned in and kissed her gently on the lips. She responded by pressing the entirety of her small body against him, wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning in to get a deeper kiss. The heat of the hot spring felt almost menial in comparison to the heat the kiss was sending through both their bodies and it didn't take long for that simple kiss to evolve into an intense liplock. They both knew it was a bad idea to do this; emotions were nothing but obstacles on the battlefield and since Sairensu was an assassin, the slightest lapse in her concentration could prove fatal to her or any of her comrades...but neither warrior cared at all; this was the culmination of all the time they spent together and all the tension between them finally manifesting into something real.

After several intense minutes, Tashika broke away to look at her.

"...Well I didn't expect that to happen at all," he said.

She smiled at him.

"After that amazing day we spent together...I had to say thank you," she replied.

He smiled back at her.

"Well this is one hell of a way to say two words..." he said.

Sairensu shook her head.

"More like three words..."

She kissed him once more and he smiled into the kiss.

 _"I like you too,"_

* * *

 **Seto's Room**

"Still can't sleep?"

I nodded slowly as I looked out of the window.

"I'm really glad we managed to get this weekend to ourselves...but I can't help but think of what may happen when we return to the world of war,"

Seto put an arm around my stomach.

"Does it truly worry you that much?" he asked.

I nodded.

"I fear for everyone...I know I should have faith in them because they're the best of the best but at the same time...we face a force that's greater than any we have ever imagined," I replied.

He nodded slowly.

"I do see how it would give you some discomfort...but I will fight to my very last breath because I truly believe this vision is worth dying for," said Seto.

I turned to see that he was smiling at me.

"And...if I get to die by your side...then it's all the better," he said.

I rolled my eyes.

"Don't say things like that...how're you gonna die when you spent all of your time behind the scenes?" I replied.  
"Do you really think that the war won't ever reach our doorstep?"

I sighed and nodded, seeing his point. It was truly unrealistic to think that we were totally safe within the walls of Sanctuary or wherever we happened to be because now that we were a part of this unit, we painted all of our faces in deep red for our enemies to see. Now more than ever, our lives were hanging in the balance.

"You...have a point," I sighed.  
"Which is all the more reason for us to tread carefully but more importantly, to stay together," he said.

I smiled and turned to face him fully.

"Are you saying that as an excuse to be around me all the time?" I said raising an eyebrow.

He raised his own eyebrow.

"You make it sound like I wasn't going to regardless of my words," he replied.

I pressed myself against him.

"Prove it right now then..."

* * *

 **Yuki's Room**

I took another sip of the tea I just made as I looked back to see Yuki, fast asleep on her bed.

 _"She works way too hard for her own good...I wish there was something I could do to help her but she just refuses to let me help,"_

I approached the bed and gently ran my hand across her cheek.

 _"Out of all of us, she probably works the hardest and she has the most to take in whenever it comes to plans and strategies...I'm amazed she hasn't lost her mind from everything that's transpired so far considering she shifted from running a clan to planning military strategies that determine the life or death of all of our friends here,"_

I couldn't deny just how great of a woman she was and it was her dedication and willingness to go against all odds for her people that truly made me fall in love with her. I couldn't think of a single person who would give so much for their clan, not even many of the leaders who were here with us.

To think that our initial meeting was merely a business meeting in which I was assigned to watch over all the caravans of the province in order to alleviate some of the burden she had to bear. Thanks to Higana, I got a position in the capital building and it didn't take long for me to become one of Yuki's closest friends. This soon evolved into me becoming her advisor and a little later, her lover. That was nearly three years ago...and here we were now fighting for the good of Tenjo itself. Who would've guessed that such a young woman would now hold many lives in her hands...and would directly play a role in the potential unification of our country.

I looked down at her to see that her long dark brown hair was a mess and bags were forming beneath her eyes. She was wearing only her underwear beneath the sheets and I had long since grown to love her beautiful she really was. Though many of the men in our village didn't think of her as the ideal person to lead, she proved herself more than enough times for me to truly believe that she was destined to lead our clan into a new age. I climbed into the bed and held her close to me. My touch seemed to have triggered a response as she shuffled closer and placed her hands on mine.

 _"...I've got to be the luckiest man alive right now...to have someone like her call me her significant other..."_

I soon allowed sleep to take over.

 _"I wish this weekend would last forever...maybe one day when this is all over, I can focus solely on her...and what I want for the future,"_

* * *

 **The Grove**

"Takeda?"

I looked around, finding absolutely no trace of him.

 _"...Maybe I came too late and he already went to sleep..."_

I sighed softly and sat down on the grass.

 _"Wow...the moon is really beautiful tonight,"_

"Can't get enough of the moon either can you?"

I turned to see that Takeda had somehow appeared beside me without me even noticing his presence.

"I'm supposed to be the ninja and yet you always manage to surprise me," I said rolling my eyes.  
"The moon is very distracting; very few things compare to its awe inspiring light," he replied.

He smiled and leaned down into the grass.

"The moon helped me deal with a lot of my regrets and pain in the past...and even now, it continues to amaze me even after staring at it all these years," he continued.

I nodded.

"You dream of them every night don't you?" I asked.

He nodded slowly.

"A great deal of the ones I've slain truly deserved it but I have slain innocents before...and those are what keep me awake at night," he replied.

I scooted closer to him and put a hand on his.

"You couldn't have known their intentions Takeda; you were given orders and you did what you had to in order to survive...no one can blame you for doing that," I said.

He seemed slightly reassured but the guilt was still plain for me to see.

"This brings me to why I called you here Shibaru...because I have to ask you something important," he said.

He leaned up and looked me dead in the eyes, a very serious face replacing the vulnerable one.

"Do you believe that I can help fight this war within reverting back to the manslayer I was before?" he asked.

His face was serious but his eyes were practically begging for reassurance. I smiled at him and placed a hand on his cheek.

"You're not a manslayer Takeda...you're a good man and you've shown me no evidence of ever having to rely on your other side," I said.

He opened his mouth to retort but I cut him off with a finger.

"The way you treat your sister and your friends is nothing like how an assassin would...a manslayer doesn't show compassion for life and more importantly, he doesn't feel regret over the people he has slain," I continued.

His eyes narrowed.

"I'm...I'm not a good person Shibaru...I've done such horrible things in the past, I've slain so many and I did it without hesitating," he said.  
"Because you wanted to protect your sister...even though you had no idea if you would truly be able to see her again and look at what happened," I retorted.

He looked slightly shocked, as if he realized just how true my words were.

"She's safe and sound and you also saved your closest friend...that's a far cry from the work of a manslayer if you ask me," I continued.

He turned away and removed his sword from his waist.

"All my life, I was raised to kill and this sword stuck with me through it all...this sword carries with it all of the hardship and pain I've had to endure but it has saved a great many lives...it's simultaneously a burden and a blessing to be able to wield it," he said.

I gently took the sword from his hands and place it behind me as I again placed my hand on his cheek.

"You can't move on until you forgive yourself Takeda...you've done far more for everyone than what most men are willing...and you've become a part of our family despite being born in another province," I said.

He shook his head.

"I...I don't deserve this kind of peace," he said.

I tried to touch his cheek again but he recoiled.

"The reason I brought you out here tonight Shibaru is because I have to tell you something...something I've needed to tell you for a while,"

I saw him remove something from his hakama and he placed it in my hand.

"What's this?" I asked.  
"Open it," he replied.

I slowly opened the small black box to reveal...

"My...father's necklace?...I don't understand," I said.

My heart rate quadrupled as I looked at Takeda in confusion.

"I have that necklace because your father asked me to give it to you...for his dying wish," he explained.  
"But I thought you-"  
"I lied Shibaru; I didn't want to cause you pain but the memories of that night replay to me in many different ways all with the same meaning that I don't deserve to have your friendship..."

He lowered his head and closed his eyes before reaching into my pouch and once again, pulling out a dart. He stabbed it into his leg and looked at me, now with tears running down his eyes.

"Ask me how he died," he said.

I shook my head but he shut his eyes tightly.

"Your father was an amazing man Shibaru! He was the one who truly made me see that my days as a hitokiri needed to come to an end because he showed me that there truly is compassion and care in this world...he showed me just how great of a leader he truly was and even though I didn't want to kill him, he gave me no choice because he knew what it meant for a hitokiri to not fulfill his contract...he knew that if I didn't slay him, I would meet my end at the hands of the Shogunate so he attacked me and I killed him," he cried.

He shook his head vigorously.

"He told me that he knew I wasn't a killer in my heart and that I was doing the right thing by fighting to protect my sister...but I killed him Shibaru...I killed a man who was doing nothing more than looking out for his people and because I killed him, I don't deserve your friendship and I definitely don't deserve your affection,"

He bowed down to me.

"I...I'm so sorry for taking him away from you...he told me to give that to you for his dying wish and now that my debt has been fulfilled, it brings me to the second reason I called you here,"

My heart had gone into overdrive and even though he just admitted he killed my father...I couldn't find it within myself to blame him for it; if anyone was to blame, it would be those pigs who rule in the Shogunate.

"I was told by an old contact that Zakuno is still alive; he escaped from his confines and I can't let him continue to kill innocent people...which is why I believe this is where we part ways," he said.

He rose to his feet and picked up his sword before putting it in his belt.

"You're an incredible woman Shibaru...and a man like me has no business holding affections for someone who he has wronged...so this is where I must say good-"

I leaped to my feet and slapped him hard across his face.

" **SHUT UP!** " I screamed.

He closed his eyes and made no move other than turning his face to me.

" **HOW DARE YOU TRY TO TELL ME WHAT YOU DESERVE AND DON'T DESERVE!** " I snapped.

I was furious...so angry that I could feel my limbs shaking with the tremendous adrenaline that was cursing through me.

"Do you really think I blame you for all of this Takeda? For all of my pain?"  
"...But I was the one who killed him," he said.  
"And who ordered you to kill him? How can I blame you for doing what you had to in order to survive and rescue your sister?" I growled.

He shook his head.

"You're...trying to patronize me," he said.  
"No; I'm putting the blame where it is truly due and that is on the Shogunate that we fight against,"

I held the necklace firmly in my hand, remembering the small message etched into the pendant of it.

 _"Trust in him,"_

"...My father knew what he was getting into when he became a leader for the rebels and he knew that hitokiri would be sent after him but he was never one to take warnings because above all else, he wanted the best for our village..."

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't bring myself to hate Takeda; he came to me and told me everything, going so far as to stab himself with the truth serum a second time in order to let me know that he was speaking the truth and nothing but it.

"The necklace he gave to me had an important message from him...and I know what it means," I said.

Takeda looked away.

"I didn't look at the necklace; I chose to keep it in that box until the day I met you...so I don't know what it means," he said.  
"He told me...that I can trust in you," I explained.

Takeda looked at me as if I were insane.

"You killed my father but for him to etch a message like that onto a necklace that he made for me himself...he didn't blame you at all for his death and his hatred instead lied in the Shogunate which is why I will never blame you for all of this...it's **their** fault,"

He turned to leave once more but I immediately grabbed his hand.

"Don't leave me...I don't want to be alone again..." I begged.  
"I cannot live in a world knowing that I am the one who took your father away from you...regardless of whose fault it was Shibaru and I can't ever forgive myself because I know I'm the one that caused you all that pain when you heard he was dead...I'm the one who caused you to feel alone even though you were with your sisters in the Shikaku and I am the one who's caused so much of the suffering you've felt in your life thus far because of what I am,"

I spun him around to face me and once he was, I captured him in a tight embrace.

"I forgive you...Takeda,"

He flinched in response to my words, almost as if he couldn't believe that I truly said them.

"You aren't a man who would kill an innocent man unless you believed otherwise...my father knew that and chose to die at your hand to save your life than to live on and cause your own death...he believed in you enough to bring this necklace to me and more importantly,"

I leaned back and looked deep into his eyes.

"He knew...that you would be the man I would grow fond of..."

Before he could reply, I pressed my lips to his. He froze completely for several moments but slowly allowed himself to kiss back, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me in closer. Several yearlong seconds passed before I moved away from him.

"I don't blame you Takeda...and now I know for sure that I care...very deeply for you," I whispered.

He shed tears of joy and smiled the most genuine smile I had ever seen.

"I...I don't understand how you can find it in your heart to forgive me...and what puzzles me more is...just how strongly I care for you despite barely knowing you for any true length of time," he said.

The truth serum should've still been in effect.

"When I look at you, I get a rush unlike any other person I've met...you're so kind to me despite knowing what I am and despite all of this...you never once looked down on me and saw me for a murderer...instead you chose to look past the exterior and my deeds to see that I was only doing what I had to in order to stay alive and to find all that I had left in this world..."

He held one of my hands.

"I've wandered these lands for a long time and this is the first time I've ever truly felt that I've found a place to call home," he continued.

I felt his grip on my hand tighten slightly.

"All of you have been so good to me...but you undoubtedly have been the one that's kept me here, going against my instinct to leave and carry on living my life in solitude to repent for all the lives I've taken...you've brought light to the darkness that's haunted me all my life and for that...I couldn't be more grateful,"

He placed a hand on my cheek.

"Thank you Shibaru...and just know,"

He kissed me once more.

"That I'm not going to leave your side again...my life, my blade and my heart...are yours,"

I smiled and felt tears come out of my own eyes.

"Don't ever think you have to take on everything on your own Takeda...because as of now, you'll never be alone again,"

He smiled brightly at me.

 _"He never meant to kill my father but knowing how my father is, he gave Takeda no choice but to and the fact that he would give his life to save Takeda's...he must really believe that he is the one who can change the war, that he is the answer we've needed to finally usher in an era of peace,"_

I took him by the hand.

"Stay with me tonight?" I asked.

Much to my surprise, he blushed profusely and looked away.

"...I'll get my futon," he replied.

I laughed softly before winking at him.

"Mine's big enough for the two of us,"


	14. In The Open

**(A/N): Not story content. Just continuing more from the last two chapters. Getting everyone that I didn't get in the last one because I just have something against writing 10,000 word chapters.  
**

 **Hope you guys are enjoying it so far. And I do apologize for the lack of story content. I just feel like I want to go crazy with the romance because I haven't been able to do so in a long time.**

 **Time to make up for all the people I missed.**

 **This also marks the end of the special. I'm so thankful my cousin gave me these ideas and I really do hope I did them justice with my writing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 12: In The Open**

* * *

 **The Following Morning- Iwasaki Springs**

I slowly stirred from my slumber to see that the familiar warmth that was in against my back had disappeared.

 _"I must've slept in..."_

I stretched my tired body and turned to see that the door was open and footsteps were now approaching. I let me head go back to the pillow and I closed my eyes, cracking them only slightly to see who was coming. Much to my delight, Takeda brought some tea and a few rice balls into the room on a tray before sliding the door shut as quietly as he could. He looked at me and smiled.

"You're terrible at pretending," he teased.

I sighed and sat up.

"You're incredibly hard to fool," I sighed.

He shrugged as he put three of the rice balls in a plate and handed it to me. I happily accepted it as he joined me with a plate of his own. He kindly poured me a cup of tea and handed it to me before serving himself.

"You're incredibly well mannered for a wanderer," I teased.  
"It's the way my mother raised me," he replied.

After blessing the food for us both, we ate our breakfast in a comfortable silence. After finishing, he rose to his feet and put all the plates aside before sitting beside me.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked.

I smiled.

"It was pretty cold last night...I'm glad you decided not to leave my room," I replied.

He blushed furiously and cleared his throat.

"You were... _quite_ persuasive," he said.

I snickered softly and smiled at him.

"Not used to having someone like me around are you?" I asked.  
"...Not at all,"

I put my hand on his cheek, causing him to lock his gaze onto my eyes.

"Does it make you uncomfortable?" I asked.  
"Yes...but not in a way that I would reject,"

He kissed my forehead.

"...I'm just not used to this kind of affection; haven't had anything like this since I was a child," he explained.

I shook my head.

"That's going to change...because you know I'm the polar opposite of shy," I teased.

He let out a deep breath.

"Dawn and Fumiko are going to have a lot of fun with the teasing..." he sighed.  
"I wonder how they would react," I said raising an eyebrow.

He shrugged.

"Fumiko already likes you because you helped her get my flute back...I'd only assume Dawn does too because she didn't try to rip your head off when I hugged you," he replied.  
"She's **that** protective?" I asked.  
"Like a second mother,"

I laughed softly.

"Well...I know my sisters are never going to let me hear the end of it all," I sighed.  
"I could imagine; she seems like the equivalent of an evil younger sister and your master is essentially her with about ten years added," he replied.

I rolled my eyes.

"Do you want to keep it a secret?" he asked.

I looked at him, scanning for any other intention as to why he would ask such a question. It seemed he sensed my intent and he shook his head.

"It's not for me; I don't care what others think of me because their thoughts are their own," he explained.  
"Then-"  
"Because your comfort matters far more to me than my own," he replied immediately.

I smiled at him.

"You're too sweet..." I whispered.  
"...Is that a compliment?"

I kissed his cheek.

"For someone who used to be all about himself, you're quite selfless," I said.

He smiled.

"I suppose I'm changing for the greater good,"

* * *

 **Tashika's Room**

 _"Ugh...what happened last night..."_

I slowly felt life flow into my exhausted limbs as I opened my eyes. Once I did however, a very sharp pain shot through my head and I nearly screamed from it.

 _"That's the last time I decide to listen to her about drinking sake..."_

After we got more... _comfortable_ at the spring, we decided to have a drink...which turned into almost four bottles worth of laughing, crying and joking. Even though I don't ordinarily drink, I had to admit that I needed a night like that to blow off all the steam...especially since we were returning to Sanctuary this afternoon where the war and bloodshed was waiting with open arms.

 _"Times like this...I really wish we weren't at war,"_

I looked down to see that I was wearing no top and all that clothed me was my training pants. My eyes widened.

 _"No...don't tell me that I..."_

My attention immediately turned to Sairensu, who was still fast asleep underneath the sheets. I raised them slightly and much to my astonishment, she was clad in nothing but her crimson underwear. I swallowed hard.

 _"...I really hope we didn't do anything that we'd both regret last night..."_

I slowly unwrapped my arms from around her as I slid away, attempting to get to my feet. I successfully did so, though it was difficult to maintain my balance thanks to my hungover state.

 _"Never again...I never could hold my alcohol very well and for us to go through **four** bottles of it last night?...I'm lucky I'm conscious right now,"_

I sighed softly as I looked out the window to see that morning had indeed come.

 _"Doesn't look too far in the morning...so we didn't really sleep in,"_

I turned back to see Sairensu was still fast asleep, almost silently letting out steady breaths and barely moving an inch.

 _"After all she's gone through these past few weeks, I think she's earned some extra sleep time,"_

I searched around the room to find something to cover my torso with until I happened upon the top of my training gi. After putting it on, I felt a presence behind me. I barely had time to react before I felt arms around me.

"You're awfully noisy," she teased.

I rolled my eyes.

"It's pretty hard to stay quiet when I'm this hungover," I replied.

She snickered softly.

"What were you going to do?" she asked.  
"I thought you would still be asleep so I was going to get us breakfast and tea," I replied.

She laughed again.

"Breakfast in bed? How sweet..." she teased.

I shook my head as she let go of me.

"Do you still want me to go get it?" I asked.

She nodded.

"Make sure you bring back a lot...I'm famished," she replied.

I nodded and turned to leave but she stopped me by grabbing my hand.

"Is that how you say good morning to someone?" she asked raising an eyebrow.

I shook my head before flicking her in the forehead.

"Better?" I snickered.

She looked at me, clearly unamused.

"You have a lot to learn," she said.

I shook my head as I quickly grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into a kiss. After a few seconds, I released her. The astonished look on her face was absolutely priceless and I had to hold back the huge fit of laughter that was about to burst from my mouth.

"Hold that thought till I come back," I teased.

It was her turn to be flustered.

* * *

 **Later That Morning- The Dining Room**

"Where did Irou and Mizuho go?" asked Masahiro.  
"Irou and Gurin went for a walk this morning and I believe Mizuho went with Keita to restock all the food we went through last night," replied Seto.

He nodded slowly.

"Amazed they woke up that early," replied Fumiko as she lazily rubbed her eyes.

Takeda handed her a cup of tea and leaned his mouth near her ear.

"Maybe you should go to sleep earlier instead of _spying on me_ ," he whispered.

Fumiko flinched and hid behind her folded arms. Takeda smiled and rubbed her head.

"It's alright; I'm just teasing you," he chuckled.

Fumiko pouted.

"Is everyone else awake?" asked Shibaru.

Seto nodded.

"I haven't heard a word out of Dawn since last night...wouldn't surprise me if she's hungover," he said

Takeda rolled his eyes as he crossed the room to put several rice balls into a plate.

"Knowing her...she probably overdid it," he sighed.  
"Lightweight?" chuckled Shibaru.

Takeda nodded.

"She has a tendency to bite off more than she can chew in most situations," he replied.

Seto laughed softly before clearing his throat.

"I believe Hikari is still sleeping as well as Ichiru and Yuki," said Seto.  
"We'd might as well bring them all breakfast or it's going to get cold," said Fumiko.

She followed her brother's actions and filled two plates before putting a second one in Takeda's hand.

"Go give that to Hikari since she's in the room next to Dawn," she said.

Takeda shrugged and left the room with both plates in hand.

"We're going to leave once we clean up the place?" asked Shibaru.  
"Shogun Du wants us all back at Sanctuary by morning so it would be ideal to leave soon," replied Seto.

Shibaru nodded.

"I'll start packing then,"

* * *

 **Dawn's Room**

"You alright?"

I ducked to avoid an incoming pillow.

" **Do you have to be so loud?** " she groaned.

I laughed softly as I approached her slowly, watching carefully for anything else to be thrown. Dawn Kishinata was never one for early mornings, even back in our home village when we used to work on the the rice paddy. She was always a lazy one and I often had to pick up her slack. Despite this however, we were very good friends, to the point where I trusted her with my life and my deepest secrets. She was practically the sister that Fumiko and I never had.

That being said, she was very much a bit overbearing; she always tended to bite off more than she could ever chew and always tried to take tasks head on without pausing to consider the odds. She also tended to get a bit emotional but I understood why; she grew up with very harsh parents who never seemed to care what she wanted for her life. Whenever we snuck out to look at the moon and talk without our parents breathing down our necks, she always told me of her aspiration to become a talented performer. She was undoubtedly a great singer and had quite a bit of skill with several instruments. She however was captured during the raid and I presumed she was dead.

I was very glad that I managed to find her. Even though I had already justified it to myself that it was unlikely that she survived, it completely shocked me when she was caged along with Fumiko. I guess the men must have seen a use for her alive rather than dead.

I crouched beside her and placed the plate next to her.

"You better eat it before it gets cold because I'm not reheating it," I said.

She groaned and sat up. Her long brown hair was a complete mess and her eyes were red, no doubt from the tremendous amount of alcohol she consumed...or at least, tremendous by _her_ standards.

"You're so mean to me," she whined.

I smiled at her.

"What kind of best friend would I be if I wasn't mean sometimes?" I replied.

She groaned and picked up a rice ball. After a few seconds of chewing, she seemed to have calmed down quite a bit.

"Did everyone have fun last night?" she asked.  
"I would assume so considering we went through so much food and sake," I replied.

She laughed softly.

"I noticed you disappeared at a certain point during the night," she teased.

I shrugged.

"Where did you go?" she asked.  
"To the grove," I replied.  
"To meet Shibaru there?"

I looked at her, quite astonished that she somehow knew; I was under the impression she was drunk.

"How did you know?" I asked.  
"I know you Takeda...you're one of those hopeless romantics," she teased.

I rolled my eyes.

"She's a real keeper though...I'm all for it," she said.

I looked away.

"I...I don't think I deserve that kind of happiness,"  
"Why?"

My eyes narrowed.

"There's something you and Fumiko need to know...a lot has changed since we were last together..."

I rose to my feet, picking up Hikari's plate as I did.

"Wait here while I get Fumiko,"

* * *

 **Meanwhile- The Market**

"Got all the meat?"

Keita nodded as he brandished the medium sized sack on his left shoulder.

"You got all the greens?" he asked.

I nodded as he smiled.

"Good, now we're going in here," he said.

He pointed to the teahouse, causing me to raise an eyebrow.

"Why?" I asked.  
"We're going to be leaving for Sanctuary this afternoon but I have to go back to my village to ensure Rozu is doing alright so I may not come back for a while," he replied.

I sighed softly; I had completely forgotten that he was essentially Rozu's adviser seeing as the was the most experienced soldier in the entire lineup, excluding perhaps Sakina.

"...Things are _that_ bad there?"

Keita nodded slowly.

"I don't think we're in a position to really be of help when retaking the outpost...and Takeda has to come with me," he replied.  
"Why?" I asked.  
"Kayla's dying wish was for him to take care of Rozu and ensure that she leads the Tengoku for the right cause and considering how experienced he is in comparison to any of us, he's a better candidate that I could ever be in guiding her," he replied.

I nodded slowly.

"He'll have to come back after the campaign because there's no way we can retake that place without him," I said.

Keita nodded.

"That goes without saying which is why he'll have to depart afterwards,"

I shook my head.

"Look at all that's happened since we started this...we lost one of our greatest in a flash and probably the absolute most vital clan to all of this is in danger of collapsing from the strife," I said.

Keita nodded.

"Now more than ever, we need to help each other when we need it and unity between all our clans has never been more vital for our survival," he said.

We sat down at a table as I swallowed hard.

"...Is it strange that I've grown fond of not fighting?" I asked.  
"Why do you ask that?" replied Keita.

I took a breath.

"All my life, I've trained relentlessly to be the best swordswoman I can be...I've known nothing but hardship, discipline and the code that all samurai live by...but this,"

I gestured to the area we were in.

"This is what I want...this peace, this feeling of not having to worry if tomorrow's battle will be the last one for me or for anyone I care about," I said.

Keita nodded slowly.

"Then we have to do our best to see that vision come to pass; I know we can do it if we all work together," he replied.

I smiled; his optimism was very refreshing in these rather depressing times.

"So...why did we come here again?" I asked.  
"Because I wanted to spend some time with you, just us," he replied.  
"Why?"

He smiled at me.

"Isn't it obvious?"

I shook my head and he rolled his eyes.

"Do I have to spell it out for you?"

He placed his hand on mine and motioned for me to lean closer. Curious about his intentions, I decided to humor him only to then feel his lips on my forehead. I blushed furiously and recoiled. He responded with a confident grin.

"I like you Mizuho,"

* * *

 **Meanwhile- The Grove**

"Feeling better after that hideous hangover this morning?"

I rolled my eyes.

"Do you think alcohol is a hindrance to someone like me who drinks on a regular basis?" I asked.

She smirked at me.

"Considering that you weren't able to speak logical sense in addition to running into about three walls, yes I do believe it's a hindrance," she replied.

I shook my head and looked away.

"Thanks for looking out for me regardless," I said.

She smiled and shook her head.

"No need to; can't have you dying before we finish our mission," she replied.

I smiled and scooted closer to her.

"Is that really the reason you don't want me dead?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

Gurin was an incredibly difficult woman to read; she often feigned interest in many things as her training taught her. Sure she was a long time friend of the Kenshi clan but there were truly times when I met with her that I felt as if there were some form of connection. In fact, this wasn't the first time she and I had gone out somewhere for fun and it was sort of a ritual at times for us to go have some fun in whatever town we were in. It slowed down tremendously due to her recent promotion to leader of the Shikaku after the previous leader died but we always managed to stay in touch.

"Do you really think so lowly of me?" she asked.  
"It's just a question," I replied.

She shook her head and turned away.

"We're not going to get through this unless we watch each others backs so of course your well being is a deep concern of mine," she replied.  
"That's **not** what I was referring to and you know that Gurin," I replied.

I didn't realize there was a slight amount of agitation but I was tired of the mind games; she recently seemed to be showing genuine interest with me and I had to know if she was lying or not. She looked at me with a blank face, as if she were trying to figure out what to say.

"How long have we known each other Irou?" she asked.  
"Eight years," I replied.

She nodded slowly.

"For about four of those years, we were rivals," she said.  
"Until I proved myself to you by saving your life during the small skirmish our clans had against the rebels," I replied.

She nodded slowly.

"Do you think there's more than that? Is that the reason why you're asking me?" she asked.

I closed my eyes.

"I just want to know if I'm being foolishly hopeful or not,"

It was unrealistic for a man like me to have an interest in the leader of the famed Shikaku clan. Gurin is a well respected woman and I probably wouldn't be able to count the number of men who have tried to woo her. Though I have personally never tried, I would be lying to myself if I said I didn't find Gurin attractive. At first, her confidence was the most annoying thing I could ever think of but as the years went by, I slowly began to embrace it. She and I have fought side by side many times and after spending so much time with her, I knew for sure that there was an interest. Though it would probably idiotic for a Kenshi Samurai to be with a Shikaku Kunoichi, especially since she is the leader of the Shikaku itself, I can't help but ask the question:

 _"What if?"_

What if we tried and it worked? What if all the fears I have of us actually having something meaningful do not come to pass. What if it could be like the old tales and myths that picture a perfect world?

I was never a man to look at life in that respect because I of all people know that life can be taken away with a simple swing of a sword that goes unparried. I knew in my heart that it was highly unlikely that I would be able to make decisions without a blatant bias for her safety and I knew that I would probably go far beyond the call of duty to ensure she was alright...no matter how much my code tells me to never do it. She's the only woman who has made me question if I would follow my oath and code down to the letter as I have been up until now.

"...You realize how foolish of an idea this is don't you?" she asked.

I closed my eyes and turned away.

"It's something I've considered over and over again for nearly two years Gurin...you won't ask a single question that I haven't already asked myself," I replied.

There was a brief pause until I felt her presence in front of me. I opened my eyes to see... _irritation_?

"Why did you have to be so nice to me?" she asked.

I opened my mouth to reply but she cut me off with a scoff.

"I have to ask myself every day if I'm a fool or not for considering any of this at all...and no matter how stupid it appears, I can't help but wonder what it would be like if I just..."

Her words widened my eyes instantly. She looked completely confused on what she was supposed to do next. It was then that I realized that she was probably just as clueless as I was. The life of a kunoichi is one of deception and even though she knew how to enthrall a man, she had no idea how to contend with very real feelings. Her training had taught her to not let emotions get in the way of the missions she had to carry out...but she was still human. No matter how hardened anyone is, emotion is the one thing that truly makes us our namesake...people.

 _"...She likes me back?"_

I slowly raised a hand to her cheek. She did not recoil and looked at me...for the first time with very vulnerable eyes. She was always a prime example of the word confident and level-headed but for the first time ever...she seemed at a loss.

"...If it does not make you feel comfortable, I will not push any further," I said.  
 _"And probably hurt myself even more in the process..."_

She let out a heavy breath.

"Everyone appears to be finding someone...Shibaru and the hitokiri? Yuki and Ichiru? Keita and Mizuho? Sakina and Seto? Even Sairensu, the woman who everyone thought was incapable of feeling this... _attraction_ has suddenly found an interest in Tashika and I'm here...still utterly clueless of what to do with these feelings,"

I smiled.

"Here's an idea,"

I leaned in and kissed her cheek.

"Be honest with yourself...at least around me," I whispered.

That seemed to be all the justification that she needed as she immediately threw her arms around me and captured my lips in an intense kiss.

 _"...Sweet, just as I imagined..."_


End file.
